Remembering the Forgotten (2) (TPS)
by bi-time-lord
Summary: After the event at Canary Wharf as well as losing Rose, the Doctor has finally figured out who the mysterious brunette is. Surviving the impossible Daleks was one thing but scaring them was definitely another. The Doctor and Rita having been alone for what felt like so long come across a woman in a wedding dress who somehow found herself inside the TARDIS.
1. Remembering the Forgotten

**I do not own Doctor Who or any of it's characters. Only the storyline I created and my own OC. This will contain spoilers from the show.**

 **This is the second book in the Parallel series. I recommend reading the first book** ** _Parallel:_** _ **From Another World**_ **. first.**

 **For those of you who have read the first book Rita Stone is in her ninth incarnation after just releasing her Time Lord essence (if that is even how it is supposedly spelt my spell checking applications are failing me) she still is a brunette with hazel eyes and has her personality from when she was human since the watch her essence was in was tampered with by the Daleks therefore she does not fully remember everything.**

 **If anyone has any questions about this or anything else in the previous book I will be happy to answer.**

If someone told Rita Stone that the alien with two hearts from her favourite TV show would end up being her best friend she would quite frankly laugh at them; that was her life now. After being on the TARDIS for longer then she could remember Rita has clearly forgotten what her 'normal' life was like without the Doctor. She's travelled further than anywhere else for someone her age and her mind has defiantly grown in knowledge.

One of her best friends Rose Tyler is lost and Rita Stone has been living a lie with memories from her old life missing and the foreknowledge gone is all hope lost for who Rita Stone was before the watch or will she never remember why she became human and who her family really were?


	2. The Runaway Bride

Rita moved around sitting in the jump seat watching the Doctor and then looked towards the doors to see a woman dressed in. A wedding dress? With her back to the Time Lords. She froze the Doctor noticed the strange woman as well. "What" His mouth opened and his eyes widend. The woman turned round and saw them both looking horrified.

"Oh!" She gasped.

"What?" The Doctor repeated then looked at Rita.

"How?" Rita questioned.

"Who are you?" She looked at the Doctor then at Rita. "And you!"

"But." The Doctor went to speak.

"Where am I, eh?" The woman looked around.

"What?" The Doctor repeated.

"What the hell is this place?" The woman shouted demanding an answer looking very annoyed.

"How?" Rita said again.

"What?"

Rita looked at the woman like she was a ghost. "But how?" She questioned jumping up from her seat and slowly walking round to the woman.

"You can't do that. I wasn't." The Doctor stared to circle the woman. "We're in flight. That is, that is physically impossible!" He ran a hand through his hair looking at the brunette just as confused as he was. "How did-"

"Tell me where I am!" She screamed cutting the Doctor off and causing them to both jump. "I demand you tell me right now where am I?!" She shouted pointing her finger at the Doctor.

"Inside the TARDIS." He replied.

"The what?" She looked at him like he was mad.

"The TARDIS," He told her again.

"The what?"

"T-A-R-D-I-S" Rita spelt it out for the woman. "It's-" she stopped thinking of the best way to tell the woman. "It's hard to explain"

"That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things." She told them.

"How did you get in here?" The Doctor then asked.

"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me." She shouted at the Doctor. _"Someone needs to calm down,"_ Rita thought.

" _Yeah, little help Rita"_ The brunette started at him then opened her mouth in shock and pointed at him gleefully. _"You can hear me!"_

 _"Of course I can"_ He grinned at her. His attention was then brought back to the woman when she started to shout at the two again.

"Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys?" The Doctor frowned. "Oh my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it!"

"Who the hell is Nerys?"

"Your best friend. " The woman to him. He shook his head.

"Hold on, wait a minute. What are you dressed like that for?" He pointed to her.

"Really Doctor" Rita looked at him. "Do you not think at all?" She crossed her arms feeling sympathy for the woman.

"I'm going ten pin bowling." She sarcastically answered then snapped at him. "What do you think, dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something!"

"Okay calm down" Rita looked at her in alarm.

"I haven't done anything!" He protested.

"I'm having the police on you! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're going to sue the living backside off you!" Rita groaned. The woman then turned running down the ramp to the doors.

"No don't do that!" Rita shouted widening her eyes and running after the woman. She pushed the doors open and the woman gasped placing a hand to her mouth.

"It's space" she sighed. "Outer space, his spaceship" she pointed to the Doctor who walked up behind Rita.

"It's called the TARDIS" he explained to her calmly.

"How am I breathing?" She asked.

"The TARDIS is protecting us." Rita cut in.

"Who are you?" She asked them.

"I'm the Stone" she looked over at the Doctor grinning. _"Oh so it's the Stone now?"_ He asked her telepathically.

 _"I did say I was taking that, the pepper pots may be bloody annoying but they do come up with good names"_

 _"Fair enough"_ he nodded at her.

"I'm the Doctor. You?" He asked her.

"Donna." She answered.

"Human?" He asked.

"Yeah. Is that optional?" She joked.

"Well, it is for us." He looked at Rita smiling.

"Your aliens." She breathed out.

"Yeah." They both replied nodding.

Donna held her arms and slightly shivered. "It's freezing with these doors open." The Doctor moved forward and closed the doors then ran back to the console.

"I don't understand that and I understand everything." He ran a hand through his hair.

"You didn't understand that time on-" the Doctor placed a hand over Rita's mouth. "Yeah lets not continue that." He grinned sheepishly then let go of the brunette.

"Rude" she hissed at him rubbing her mouth.

The Doctor started to move around the TARDIS. "This this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the Tardis and transport itself inside." He then grabbed a magnifying glass. "It must be impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell."

Rita's eyes widen slightly seeing a look in Donna's eyes. _"Doctor"_ she tried to warn but he took no notice continuing to mumble on.

"Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-" he stopped talking and placed a hand on his cheek feeling a stinging sensation and realising Donna slapped him.

 _"I tried to warn you."_

"What was that for?" He screeched.

"Get me to the church!" Donna screamed at him.

"Right! Fine!" He ran around the console pressing buttons and pulling levers. "I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System." She shouted then noticed a purple blouse hanging over the railing.

"I knew it, acting all innocent." She marched over it it. "I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted? What did you abduct her as well? Force her to say she's an alien?!" Donna shouted holding the blouse in a fist and pointing at Rita. The Doctor and Rita both looked up their faces turning from confusion to purely hurt.

"That's our friend's." The Doctor said with no emotion.

"Where is she, then? Popped out for a space walk?" Donna sarcastically snapped at them not seeing their broken faces.

"She's gone." The Doctor said coldly.

"Gone where?" Donna snapped at him again.

"I lost her."

"We both did" Rita spoke up her voice slightly cracking.

"Well, you can hurry up and lose me!" She shouted at them, her face grew softer now noticing the hurt expression on their faces. "How do you mean, lost?" Rita walked up to Donna taking the blouse and throwing it in the hallway for her to sort out later.

"Right, Chiswick." The Doctor pulled a lever and the TARDIS dematerialised.

"God I can barely remember anything still" Rita sighed.

"Maybe it's your lack of energy?" He hummed flipping another lever and the TARDIS then began to materialise.

"Might be who knows" she shrugged.

They exited the TARDIS and Donna groaned. "I said, Saint Mary's. What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

"Sorry, he sometimes parks a little off" Rita sighed. "We're also not from Mars"

"Something's wrong with her." He started to pat her. "The TARDIS, it's like she's Recalibrating, she's digesting. What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong?" He asked the TARDIS, Rita leant against the door watching the woman circle the TARDIS. "Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" The Doctor shouted from the console. "Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off. What if you're dangerous. I mean, have you, have you seen lights in the sky, or did you touch something like something, something different, something strange? Or something made out of a, box of metal or. Who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he? Donna!" He looked up to see Rita or Donna no longer there.

The red haired woman held a hand to her mouth and stepped back. Rita slowly walked over to her cautiously. "It's okay calm down" she held a hand out. "I know he can be a bit-" she paused for the right word. "-Weird, but he's okay"

"Donna!" The Doctor shouted running out and catching up with the two.

"Leave me alone. I just want to get married." She shook her head walking off.

"Come back to the TARDIS"

"No way. That box is too weird."

He placed his hands in his pockets. "It's bigger on the inside, that's all."

 _"Really?!"_ Rita shouted at him telepathically.

"Oh! That's all?" Donna muttered. "Ten past three. I'm going to miss it."

"You can phone them. Tell them where you are." He shrugged.

"How do I do that?" She asked.

"Haven't you got a mobile?" He looked at her.

"Doctor!" Rita shouted aloud this time and he looked over at her. "You're scaring the poor woman!" She then turned to Donna, her face growing soft. "He's an idiot ignore him" she glared at the Doctor.

 _"Rude"_

 _"And not ginger. Stop scaring her!"_ She telepathically snapped at him.

"Don't you have a phone though?" He pressed on and Rita groaned. Donna looked at him like he was an idiot which as Rita had stated he was acting a lot like one.

"I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets!" She snapped at him.

 _"Liking her already."_

 _"Don't get too attached"_ he grumbled "This man you're marrying. What's his name?" The Doctor asked.

"Lance." Donna smiled in awe at his name.

"Good luck, Lance." The Doctor muttered.

"Oi!" She snapped. "No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married. To hell with you!" She ran off.

"I'm, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not from Mars." He stuttered then ran off following the red head. Rita then groaned and followed him.

"Taxi!" Donna shouted as a taxi that drove past and ignored them. "Why's his light on?"

"There's another one!" The Doctor shouted pointing to one.

"Taxi! Oi!"

"There's one!" _"Are you going to help Rita?"_

"Oi!" Donna shouted raising her arms.

 _"Nope this is too funny."_

"Do you have this effect on everyone?" He asked Donna ignoring Rita's comment glaring at her a little. "Why aren't they stopping?"

Donna sighed and lifted the sides of her dress for emphasis. "They think I'm in fancy dress."

"Stay off the sauce, darling!" A Taxi driver shouted out of the window while driving past.

"They think I'm drunk." She muttered to the Doctor.

"You're fooling no one, mate!" Two men shouted to Donna while speeding past in their car.

"They think I'm in drag!" The Doctor looked at Donna then turned to the street.

"Hold on, hold on." Rita held her hands to her ears knowing what the Doctor was planing. He whistled loudly causing a taxi to quickly do a U-turn. Donna climbed in the car followed by the Doctor then Rita.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road," Donna informed the driver. "It's an emergency. I'm getting married. Just hurry up!" She then added.

"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today."

"Oh, my God. Have you got any money?" Donna asked the Doctor and Rita.

"Er, no. Haven't you?" He asked her. Rita hit her forehead with her palm then hit the Doctors arm.

"Pockets!" Donna hissed at him.

"No money?" The driver asked.

"Yeah sorry" Rita muttered.

"I got a wedding and it's really important"

"I can't take you if you ain't payin',eyestawk" the driver said turning around.

"But it's Christmas eve!" Donna shouted at him. Rita took the opportunity after the car had stopped to jump out just so she wouldn't have to be trapped in such a confined space with the fuming woman.

 _"You know the Daleks call you the oncoming storm?"_ Rita asked the Doctor and he raised a brow at her. _"I think I just found the actual storm"_ he groaned. _"You're probably not wrong there, could imagine her ripeyestalkright off"_ Rita chuckled aloud at his joke as Donna climbed out of the taxi shouting at the driver.

"And that goes double for your mother!" She hollered slamming the door and watching the taxi speed off. "I'll have him." She grumbled. "I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas spirit." Donna grumbled.

"Is it Christmas?" The Doctor looked around smiling. _"Did you not hear her earlier?"_ Rita raised a brow and he shrugged at her.

"Well, duh." Donna snapped. "Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve." Rita shook her head. Donna's eyes then lit up. "Phone box! We can reverse the charges!" She began to ran.

"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" The Doctor asked following the angry red head.

"Can't bear it. I hate Christmas. Honeymoon, Morocco. Sunshine, lovely." She smiled then opened the door stepping in to te phone box. "What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?" She looked at the Doctor who muttered something under his breath and pulled out his sonic using it on the phone box.

"Just call the direct." He told her placing his sonic screwdriver back into the inside pocket of his suit. _"You know maybe I should make a sonic"_ Rita tellipathically told the Doctor.

 _"Maybe if you ask the TARDIS nicely she will give you one as a present, not when she's sick though"_ he scrunched up his nose then moved his attention back to the red head.

"What did you do?" She asked

"Something" he looked at Rita for help. _"Martian"_ she shrugged. "Martian. Now phone." He looked at the brunette thankful. "We'll get money!" He told her running off pulling Rita with him and standing in a queue at a cash matchine. The Doctor started to hop around on the spot lightly not enjoying having to wait. Rita smirked at him finding it honestly amusing. _"Are you enjoying yourself?"_ He looked at her raising a brow. _"Maybe, maybe not"_ she shrugged. The Doctor then practically ran forward as the man in front walked away from the machine.

"I swear I referenced this before" she spoke aloud thinking as the Doctor messed with the machine using his sonic. "When I could actually remember stuff from the parallel world, would it have anything to do with the void being closed?" She raised a brow at the Doctor who didn't look up from what he was doing.

"Possibly" he shrugged. "Although now I think about it, it really shouldn't. Prehaps the human you was just persistent in keeping what was hers, well hers" he shrugged then beamed when the machine extracted the money. Rita grabbed it then froze hearing the distantly familiar tune played by brass instruments. "Rita?" He frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Doctor" she whispered. "Without making it obvious are there some Santas playing brass instruments," she asked. "Almost identical to the ones before you met me."

The Doctor moved his gaze towards the Santas "Yes" the Santas then stopped playing and moved their brass instruments into prostions to fire.

"Oh even better Donnas getting into a taxi." Rita breathed then gulped. "Donna!" She shouted running off after the red head who looked up and shouted.

"Thanks for nothing, spacegirl! I'll see you and your boyfriend in Court!" She shouted then jumped into the taxi which then drove off.

"Boyfriend?" The Time Lords both said at the same time frowning then remembered the deadly Santas behind them. The Doctor leant over to the cash machine and used his sonic. Money began to fly out of the machine causing everyone nearby to rush to the ground trying to pick as much of it up as possible. The two Time Lords then took off sprinting towards the TARDIS. The Doctor bursted inside and ran around the console pressing buttons and pulling levers.

"Don't suppose you know how to fly her?" The Doctor asked.

"Not a clue, if I ever flew a TARDIS before I cannot remember." She replied watching him run round.

"Best I teach you now then," he informed her pointing at things and saying what they each did very quickly, Rita somehow understood. Then again she spoke quite quickly at times herself so it was only natural for her to understand the Doctor. "Understood?" He asked standing still and watching her watch him.

"Understood" she nodded grinning at him.

"Allons-y then!" He shouted pulling a lever.

Donna cried hitting the back of the car window. "You are kidding me." She said under her breath seeing the blue 1950's police box flying through the air following and catching up to the car.

The Doctor ran to the doors and pushed them open holding on to the sides to stop himself from falling out. "Open the door!" He shouted.

"Do what?" The red head screamed banging on the window.

"Open the door!" He repeaded. _"It's locked!"_ He heard Rita's voice at the back of his mind. _"Oh so you remember?"_ He asked her sonicing the car door to be unlocked.

 _"Somethings, not everything, and barely"_ she replied as Donna opened the window of the Taxi and screamed: "Santa's a robot!"

"Donna, open the door." He told her again shouting over the sound of the cars on the motorway.

"What for?!" She asked.

"You've got to jump!" He told her.

"I'm not blinking flip jumping. I'm supposed to be getting married!" She told him shouting.

The taxi sped away and he looked out the TARDIS doors then back inside to the Time Lady about to tell her to move the TARDIS. "On it" Rita informed him pulling a lever. She shreaked as a loud bang and sparks began to flew everywhere. "Sorry!" She shouted petting the console a little. "Come on!" The TARDIS then flew bouncing off of the roof of a car and managed to catch up with the taxi.

The Doctor tried to stop the robot driver with his sonic however it clamped it's hand on the steering wheel even tighter. The Doctor gritted his teeth and shouted to Donna again. "Listen to me. You've got to jump!"

"I'm not jumping on a motorway!" She protested.

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!" He shouted to her again.

"I'm in my wedding dress!" She cried.

"Yes, you look lovely! Come on!" Donna opened the car door and the Doctor stepped as close as he could to the edge reaching his hands out.

"I can't do it." She sobbed looking down at the ground zooming past between her and the TARDIS.

"Yes you can Donna!" Rita shouted not caring if the woman could hear her or not she had to say something.

"Trust me." He told her looking at the woman seriously.

"Is that what you said to her? Your friend? The one you lost?" Rita's eyes shot up. "Did she trust you?" Donna asked the Doctor.

"Yes, she did. And she is not dead. She is so alive." He beamed. "Now, jump!" He said and so she did launching herself out of the taxi she landed on top of the Doctor. Rita ran to the doors and forced them shut before running back to the console and moving the TARDIS away from the motorway placing her on a building to rest.

"Having fun lying about there Doctor?" Rita asked walking over and watching him on the ground with Donna standing next to her breathing heavily.

"I just jumped from a bloody car" she breathed out. "A car onto a spaceship! On the flipping motorway!" She looked at the brunette in horror. "Can we go outside?" She asked breathing.

"Yeah" Rita nodded. "She's safely on a building rooftop. "Not the only one needing a breath" she chuckled looking at the Doctor on the ground just breathing and looking up. There was another loud bang similar to the one before and sparks. The TARDIS then began to smoke. "Out, out, out!" The Doctor shouted jumping up and running over to grab a fire extinguisher from near the hallway. Rita ran outside and saw Donna sitting beside the edge. She walked over and sat beside her sighing.

"You okay?" She asked causing the woman to jump a little. "Sorry" she muttered apologetically.

"Missed the wedding" she mumbled.

"Sorry Donna"

"Oh it's not your fault" she chuckled. "I might blame him for being so senseless though, who askes if you have a wedding dress with pockets?"

"Did say we were aliens" the brunette laughed. "You'll get used to him though, understand that he doesn't mean to be rude even if he does look like he is."

"I can hear you, you know" the Doctor walked out if the TARDIS with grey smoke escaping the inside "The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours." He looked at the TARDIS. "You all right? He asked Donna obviously not hearing the first part of the conversation.

"Doesn't matter." Donna looked down at the building below, watching all of the people go by.

"Did we miss it?" He asked her.

"Yeah."

"Well, you can book another date."

"Course we can."

"Maybe you could have Easter, or do you like Easter?" Rita joked causing the woman to laugh lightly.

"You've still got the honeymoon." The Doctor pointed out.

"It's just a holiday now." She sighed looking between the two Time Lords, Rita on her left and the Doctor on her right.

"Yeah. Yeah. Sorry."

"It's not your fault." She told them.

"Oh? That's a change." He chuckled

"Wish you had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right." Rita and the Doctor looked at each other and both scratched their heads.

"Yeah, yeah. But even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline." Rita widened her eyes and Donna looked at him confused.

"He reads a lot, whole Library with loads of books in the TARDIS." The red head nodded.

 _"Idiot"_

 _"It's fine"_ he reassured her grinning. Rita just rolled her eyes.

She started to shiver so the Doctor removed his suit jacket and placed it over the woman.

"God, you're skinny." She gasped. "This wouldn't fit a rat." Rita burst out out in fits of laughter and fell back lying on the roofs floor.

"I have been waiting for you Donna," she said between laughter. The woman looked at her strangely and the Doctor glared at her.

"Oh and you'd better put this on." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring.

"Way to go Doctor rub it in" Rita calmed down from laughing. "Bio-damper" she informed Donna.

"Those creatures can trace you. This should keep you hidden. With this ring, I thee bio-damp." He placed it on her finger.

"For better or for worse. So, come on then. Robot santas, what are they for?" She looked between the two raising a brow.

"He's seen them before last Christmas" Rita nodded over to the Doctor.

"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in." He told her.

"Why, what happened then?"

"Great big spaceship hovering over London? You didn't notice?" He looked at her a little shocked and confused that she didn't know.

"I had a bit of a hangover."

"Sounds like more than a bit." Rita joked.

"I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate, with this... family." He explained. "My... friend, she had this family. Well, they were. Still, gone now."

"And you were?" She looked at Rita.

"Oh I was erm" she scratched the back of her head. "You could say in another world" she sheepishly smiled.

"Your friend, who was she?" Donna looked at the Doctor who suddenly jumped up ignoring the redhead.

"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you?" He changed the topic. "And how did you get inside the Tardis? I don't know." He answered his own question. "What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary." She replied, the Doctor brought out his sonic and started to scan her.

"It's weird. I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important."

"Ignore him" Rita shot daggers at the Doctor with her eyes smiling at Donna. "He's just upset that he doesn't know what happened." The Doctor continued to scan her moving the sonic up and down and frowning at the readings. Donna crossed her arms and hissed, "this friend of yours. Just before she left, did she punch you in the face?" She then slapped the sonic screwdriver away. "Stop bleeping me!"

"What kind of secretary?" The Doctor asked putting the sonic away.

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance." She smiled up in awe. "I was temping. I mean, it was all a bit posh really." She explained "I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought I'm never going to fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee."

"Apparently he does" Rita spoke up and Donna grinned.

"And Lance, he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me. But he was nice, he was funny."

 _"Something tells me that he couldn't stand her."_ Rita sadly said to the Doctor and he nodded slightly at her in agreement.

"And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too." She told them continuing on with her story. "So that's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee. That was it."

"When did all of this start?" Rita asked the red head.

"Six months ago." She replied and Rita's eyes widened then glanced at the Doctor who was thinking exactly the same thing as the Time Lady.

"Bit quick to get married." The Doctor told her reading Rita's slightly shocked face.

"Well, he insisted." She replied.

 _"Somehow I don't believe that."_ Rita hummed to the Doctor who slightly nodded at her in agreement again.

"Practically begged me!" She said loudly. "Wouldn't stop asking! And he nagged, and he nagged me and he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in." She told them. Rita raised a brow at the Doctor wondering if he believed the red head at all.

"What does HC Clements do?" He asked before Rita questioned him about his thoughts on the womans story.

"Oh, security systems. You know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths."

"So basically cameras and keys?" Rita raised a brow.

"Anyway, enough of my CV." She jumped up. "Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming." She sighed. "You can do the explaining, Martian boy." She patted his shoulder and Rita snorted a laugh.

"Martian boy" Rita repeated laughing.

"Yeah. We're not from Mars." He pointed between him and Rita.

"I'm most definitely not sure about him though" she snorted again. "All skinny and that" the Doctor glared at her for a moment then turned to Donna who sighed again.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken." She muttered. Rita then got up and patted the Doctors shoulder just like Donna had earlier.

"Come on Martian boy you got some explaining to do" she smirked playfully at him, he groaned standing up, putting on his suit jacket that Donna handed to him.

"Your never going to make me forget this are you?" He asked.

"Nope" she grinned popping the 'p'and not turning back to him replying over her shoulder.

They entered the reception hearing Christmas music blaring loudly and everyone having a great time without the bride. Donna crossed her arms fuming. The Doctor and Rita stood a couple of steps behind her not wanting to face the wrath of the fuming red head that they had witnessed earlier, the Doctor more than Rita.

People began to notice the furious woman standing in the room looking more as pissed off than she did when finding herself in the TARDIS. The faces of the people around the room fell staring at the woman in shock.

"You had the reception without me?" She said more disappointed then angry.

"Donna, what happened to you?" The man who looked like the groom asked.

"You had the reception without me?!" She said more angrier this time.

"Hello. I'm the Doctor." The Doctor stepped aside a little and waved.

Rita groaned. "Sorry about him he can be an idiot at times" she glared at the Doctor. "I'm the Stone"

 _"Oh so you can introduce yourself but I can't?"_

 _"She's clearly upset, plus I can't just walk up to a wedding reception randomly with no one knowing who I am can I?"_ He slightly nodded not replying.

"They had the reception without me." Donna turned to the Time Lords.

"Yes, I gathered." The Doctor said to her then winced in slight pain as Rita slapped his arm glaring at him once again.

"Well, it was all paid for. Why not?" A woman spoke up with a voice that automatically annoyed the Time Lady.

"Thank you, Nerys." Donna snapped at the woman.

"Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end. I'm on Earth? Very funny." An older woman Rita guessed to be Donna's mother than snapped at the bride. "What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know."

Multiple people then start questioning the red head at once stepping slightly closer. Rita and the Doctor watched in horror as the woman was bombarded with questions from different people all at the same time. The room became quiet at the loud sobs coming from the bride bursting into tears. Lance then walked up to her and embraced her in a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder and continued sobbing then winked at both of the Time Lords showing that it was all an act. _"Oh she's good"_ Rita commented telling the Doctor telepathically.

 _"Very"_ he replied as they continued to watch the woman fake cry into the groom's shoulder.


	3. The Runaway Bride - Two

The Doctor and Rita stood beside the bar away from the crowd watching the red head dance around with her family and friends happily.

Rita sighed at the sight remembering a memory of her human self once at a party like this doing exactly what she was now. Off at the side staying quiet. The Doctor noticed a man on his phone and politely asked if he could borrow it for a moment. He turned around towards the bar and used his sonic screwdriver discreetly.

The screen flashed and starts to scroll through information about HC Clements. The word Torchwood then popped up and the Doctor blinked remembering when Rita opened her fob watch freeing her Time Lady self and technically loosing her human self in the process. But he remembered her words.

 _It's still me._

But was it really still her? He knew who she was and it hurt losing either one of herself. The Doctor sighed quietly and glanced over at the Time Lady softly smiling. She was watching the people on around the room enjoying themselves and didn't notice his gaze on her just, thinking. The Doctor then handed the phone back to the man who owned it thanking him. He turned around and leant against the bar just like the Time Lady crossing his arms he watched the people dancing. He jolted suddenly feeling someone tap him on the shoulder. Turning his head he saw it was Rita and sighed relaxed a little.

"There's a camera man from the wedding." She told him and he raised his brow. "He got the whole thing. Want to take a look?" She asked grinning.

"I knew keeping you around was a good idea" he smirked then followed her walking through the crowd to the camera man.

"You can't get rid of me Doctor" she laughed at his comment. "The TARDIS wouldn't let you, at least I don't hit her"

"Are you so sure about that, she was full of smoke earlier" he raised his brows at her, the Time Lady shook her headat him.

"Excuse me?" Rita spoke up. The man turned around from the camera and looked at the Time Lords. "We were wondering if we could see the footage from the wedding, the thing that happened to the bride" she explained.

"Oh, I taped the whole thing." He nodded turning back round and stepping out the way for them to see. The Doctor took his glasses out of his suit pocket and placed them on leaning in slightly with Rita as the camera skipped to the correct part. "They've all had a look." He told them both. "They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News." He stopped at the point just before Donna disappeared. "Here we are." He played it and the three watched the reply of Donna screaming, turning into gold energy and disappearing.

"But that's" Rita looked at the Doctor.

"Can't be. Play it again?"

"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." he then rewinded the recording then replayed it. The Doctor and Rita leant closer to the screen.

"But that looks like Huon Particles." He looked at Rita then back at the screen.

"What's that then?" The man asked.

"That's impossible." Rita frowned. "Extremely old, ancient."

"Huon energy doesn't exist anymore." The Doctor removed his glasses. "So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!" He and Rita both looked at each other then sprinted off heading towards the window. The Doctor moved the curtain and surely the Santa's were there approaching the building.

"No, no no" Rita ran towards the red head and the Doctor screamed for her.

"Donna, they've found you." He ran up to her and Rita.

"But you said I was safe." He looked at her scared.

"The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out." He told her.

"My God, it's all my family." She gasped. Rita took the woman's hand and the Doctor ran ahead.

"Out the back door!" He shouted. They ran out of the door and skidded to a stop the Doctor putting his arms out beside him to stop not only himself but the two behind him.

"Maybe it was better inside!" Rita pulled Donna's hand dragging her back inside with the Doctor behind following. Donna ran to another door looking out the window she gasped.

"We're trapped" Two robots Santa's stood outside slowly walking towards the window. One of the Santas slowly lifted its arm to show a remote control. The Doctors eyes widened at the sight of it.

"Christmas trees." He spun around staring at the tree.

"What about them?" Donna asked sounding slightly terrified.

"They kill" Rita coldly replied after a sudden memory of her human self in the parallel world unlocked with the Doctor just after he regenerated springing up in bed sonic screwdriver in hand disabling and destroying the murderous Christmas tree.

"Get away from the tree!" The Time Lords shouted at the humans laughing and enjoying themselves.

"Don't touch the trees!" Donna screamed running to them all and forcing them back.

"Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees!" The Doctor shouted waving his arms about and running in front of the people to make them move back.

"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot." Donna's mother groaned.

"He may be an idiot at times but he has good reasons.. most of the time" Rita glared at him.

"Why?" The woman looked at Rita asking. "What harm's a Christmas tree going ." She looked up in awe. The Time Lords spun around and frowned at the baubles which gracefully floated into the air.

"Well that's new" Rita pointed out before one came zooming over to her crashing to the ground and exploding causing the Time Lady to dive out of the way almost colliding with the floor only for the Doctor to grab her arm and stop her from falling face first into the floor. "Thanks she muttered" as People started to panic throwing their hands around and diving for cover. The Doctor grabbed the Time Lady's hand and sprinted for the DJ desk. They dodged the screaming terrified people and exploding baubles.

"Santa!" Rita shouted in the direction of the bar where multiple robot Santas were stood. They slowly turned their heads in her direction then stopped when facing her. "Someone has a little word of advice!" She pointed her thumb at the Doctor beside her.

"If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system." He warned them. Rita shoved her hands into her ears at the same time the Doctor jammed the sonic into the desk causing the room to buzz with the painful high pitched noise. He gritted his teeth at the sound and noticed the Santa's start to violently shake and then explode into pieces" Rita pulled his arm and the sonic out stopping the noise and allowing a sigh of relief to escape her lips.

"Sorry" he muttered to her. "But it worked"

"I'm fine,desypher" she told him. "Are you?"

"I'm always okay" he smiled and she gave him a look that he couldn't decipher. He knew it wasn't a good look and lightly shook his head then jumped over the sound system and skidded on his knees across the floor.

"Showing off are we?" Rita raised a brow mimicking him while smirking.

"What we got then?" Rita asked picking up one of the heads. "Oh look!" She beamed turning to the Doctor and showing him. "A second control! Now isn't that clever?"

"Hmm very" he hummed taking a look himself.

"They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession." He told Rita then noticed Donna watching and slightly turned to tell her as well.

"Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt." She looked at him her face looking hurt.

"Nah, they wanted you alive." He turned to Rita taking one of the baubles now disabled. "Look." He threw her one.

"They're not active now." He told her.

"All I'm saying, you could help." She told him.

"Doctor she is right" Rita looked at him a little saddened.

 _"Rita we can't"_ he informed her telepathically and she sadly nodded knowing whatever wanted Donna was more important.

"Got to think of the bigger picture." He moved the head next to his ear for a moment. "There's still a signal!" He jumped up pulling Rit with him and the two of them rushed out. The red head slowly followed.

"Donna, who are they?" Her mother asked her causing the bride to turn around and stare at her mother not able to give an answer. "Who is that man and woman?" She asked. Donna stared at her for a moment before turning and running out of the same door the Tome Lords used a few moments ago.

"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." The Doctor moved about with the robot head scanning it with the sonic.

"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked running out of the reception and standing next to the Doctor and Rita.

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out." He replied continuing to scan it. "Ooo!" He moved the sonic to the sky. "It's up there. Something in the sky."

"Or above the sky" Rita added and the Doctor nodded at her a little.

"Robot Santas, something in the sky" Rita listed. "You don't think?" She looked at the Doctor.

"No can't possibly be" he shook his head at her. "I saw their ship explode, remember" he looked at her raising a brow.

"I think" she touched her head wincing in a slight pain. "Every time I try and think about something from before... you know" she shivered a little. "In the parallel world my head either starts to hurt or I just can't remember, I get random memories of the parallel world like it's being triggered at some really random times."

"No idea" he looked at her truthfully. "As soon as this is all sorted and we're back on the TARDIS I can do some tests, okay?" He asked and she nodded, the Doctor then groaned a little looking at the sonic.

"Signal gone?" She asked him and he nodded then grabbed her hand running over to where Donna was standing with Lance.

"I've lost the signal. Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements. I think that's where it all started."

"Lance?" He looked at her a little shocked that she knew his name. "It is Lance?" She asked and he nodded at her. "Can you give us a lift?" She pointed to herself and the Doctor before they ran off and the two humans followed before the man could answer.

The Doctor, Rita, Donna and Lance ran into the 'H C Clements' building and the Doctor started to explain.

"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty-three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." The two Time Lords ran to a computer and the Doctor began to scroll through it then moved on to another and thumped it's monitors when it didn't work.

"That will only break it. But really? Not again can't they ever just leave the alien stuff to you and possibly me?" Rita muttered the last part under her breath and the Doctor smiled to himself hearing what she said and very glad that Rita was too busy focusing on the computer.

"Who are they?" Donna asked and the Doctor and Rita stopped and blinked at her not sure if she was joking or being serious.

"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf." She looked at the Doctor confused.

"Cyberman invasion," Rita said and the woman still had no idea what they were talking about.

"Skies over London full of Daleks?" He questioned.

"Oh, I was in Spain." She shrugged.

"They had Cybermen in Spain."

"And pepper pots" Rita added.

"Pepper whats?" Lance looked at her confused.

"Doesn't matter" she waved her hand at him.

"I was scuba diving," Donna told them.

The Doctor and Rita frowned at the woman not sure how she exactly missed that. "That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." He the Doctor ran to another computer and started to scroll through.

"Torchwood was destroyed, thanks to us but HC Clements stayed in business." Rita looked over at the Doctor who nodded at her sadly remembering what happened that day.

"I think someone else came in and took over the operation." The Doctor added pretending to sound okay but coming out just a bit cheerier than normal.

"But what do they want with me?" The red head asked.

"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened. " Donna looked at him confused and clearly not understanding what he was talking about. _"Rita? Mind helping me explain to her?"_ She picked up a mug and a pencil agreeing to help him explain it to the woman.

"Say that's the TARDIS" he pointed to the mug Rita was holding and she held it up slightly.

"And this is you Donna, sorry I don't have anything else to represent you as" Rita pursued her lips holding up the pencil. She then began to lightly shake the pencil. "The particles inside you activated. Then the two sets of particles magnetised" she then started to shake the mug.

"and whap!" He cclappedhis hands together and Rita popped the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS", He told her summing it up.

"Which should be impossible, but it happend"

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna looked between the two.

"Yes, you are." He grinned and Rita swirled the pencil around in the mug before placing it down.

"4H. Sums you up. Lance?" The Doctor asked sitting in a chair and using the sonic screwdriver on the computer screen. "What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?

"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager."

"There must be something" Rita asked him.

"Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?" Lance shook his head looking at the two.

"Ah ha!" Rita beamed pulling up another chair and sitting in it beside the Doctor as the screen flickered to life. "Oh look at that 3rd floor" she muttered looking at the screen.

"They make keys, that's the point. And look at this." He pointed at the screen. Ri- the Stone" he corrected himself. "Is right. We're on the third floor."

 _"You remembered"_ she smiled as they headed to the lift.

 _"Of course I would."_ he shook his head. _"The Doctor and the Stone, hmm fancy"_

 _"Did tell you I liked it"_ she shook her head smirking a little as they walked into the lift.

"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes? Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked lower basement? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"

"Not sure." Rita replied. "Want to take a look?" She asked and he grinned.

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance looked at the Doctor.

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor." He turned to where the buttons for each floor where on the wall.

"It needs a key." Donna frowned.

"He doesn't. Hopefully, I won't soon" Rita smiled while the Doctor soniced the button labeled 'LB'

"Right then. Thanks, you two." The Doctor looked at the two humans. "We can handle this. See you later."

"Bye!" Rita waved at them.

"No chance, Martians. You're the two who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting either of you out of my sight."

"Going down." The Doctor announced.

"Lance?" Donna looked at him.

"Maybe I should go to the police." He sounded scared looking between the Doctor and Donna.

"Inside." Donna snapped at him, he sighed stepping into the lift.

"To honour and obey?"

"Tell me about it, mate." Lance muttered.

"Oi." Donna hissed at them.

"Allons-y" Rita muttered unenthusiastically as the lift descended, feeling the Doctors narrowing eyes on her.

The Doctor and Rita stepped out of the lift and looked around the area which was dimly lit with a green light. "Where are we?" The red head asked then looked at the Doctor and Rita. "Well, what goes on down here?" Donna then asked.

"Let's find out." The Time Lords said in unison.

"Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked as they walked down corridor.

"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it."

"Not the only one who thinks that" Rita spoke up. "Oh I think this day is getting better and better" she beamed.

"Oh, look. Transport."

"I'm not walking" Rita muttered and the Doctor raised a brow.

"Who said you were going to?" He asked about to jump on one of the Segways.

"Well there is only three Doctor" she pointed out as Donna and Lance walked over taking a segway each.

"Doesn't mean we can't share. We did ride a horse once" he pointed out.

"So we did" she grinned the memory filling her mind. "Wasn't he called Arthur?"

"Indeed he was. Come on then" he grinned at her and the Time Lady rushed over jumping on the back wrapping her arms around his waist to cling on. "Sorry" she muttered feeling her cheeks heat up a little.

"Allons-y!" He shouted speeding off feeling himself start to heat up trying to get rid of the feeling by laughing. Donna and Lance then started sped off as well trying to catch up sith the Time Lords.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Rita raised a brow thinking for a moment. "These are only meant for one person right?"

"Oh you're not that heavy Rita and when have you even thought about being safe?" he rolled his eyes strolling down the corridor Lance and Donna were too busy in conversation behind to hear the Time Lords.

"You said otherwise when I kept jumping on your back to travel to and from France" she protested.

"I lie and since when have you ever thought about being safe?"

"Well I would rather walk then this thing catch on fire and I end up having to regenerate. And I already know that rule" she muttered rolling her eyes then placing her chin on his left shoulder to see where they were actually going.

"You comfy there?" He moved his head a little to see her and raised a brow.

"Could be better with a pillow." She smirked.

"Cheeky"

Donna and Lance soon sped up a little and the three Segways rolled along in a line. Donna looked at the Doctor and Rita then Lance who held such serious faces and bit her lip then burst out laughing. The Doctor and Rita both looked over at the woman seeing how ridiculous she looked. A woman in a wedding dressing riding a segway. This was something new, even for the Doctor. Lance looked over at the three like they were mad. Which the Doctor and Rita most likely were.

The Doctor stopped the segway and Rita jumped off and brushed herself off a little and stretched her arms a little. "Oh, come on we wasn't on that thing for that long" he rolled his eyes at her.

"You wasn't halfway hanging off of one of them." She threw back.

The Doctor moved over to a door and used the wheel to open it and looked up. "Could have told me to just move up a little" he muttered then looked at Donna and Lance "Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything." He pointed at them. "Come on Stone"

"You'd better come back." Donna warned them.

"We couldn't get rid of you if we tried." The Doctor grinned then climbed.

"I don't make promises I can't keep Doctor" she grinned and the Doctor stopped looking down at her raising his brows.

They reach the top and the Doctor opened another door operated by a wheel almost identical to the first one below. He climbed up then held out a hand for Rita who grinned accepting his help and climbed out.

"Well that's a nice view" she commented. "Thames flood barrier" She looked at the city in the distance. "Very nice" she nodded.

"Best get back down to Donna" he looked out at the city. "Did kind of promise her." He nodded. "Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath." The Doctor jumped down the last final steps as Rita moved out the way brushing off her hands.

"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?"

"Not like that hasn't been done before" Rita muttered glancing at the Doctor. "Very pretty up there though", she smiled a little. "We should go."


	4. The Runaway Bride - Three

"Oo, look at this stunning" the Doctor opened the door and looked around at the large room.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rita asked walking over to a tube holding a clear liquid just like water with millions of bubbles travelling through it.

"What does it do?" Donna asked.

"I think" Rita looked at the liquid. "I think it's Particle extrusion." She looked at the Doctor whose eyes were fixed on the tubes holding the liquid. He turned back to them and grinned.

"Brilliant." He gleamed. "She's right" he nodded over to Rita. "They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, our people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure." He pointed to himself and the brunette.

"Your people? Who are they?" He frowned at the Time Lords. "What company do you represent?" Rita snorted out a laugh. _"Did he not hear Donna earlier? Surely 'Martians' would have given away something"_

 _"We're not Martians though"_ he pointed out the obvious.

 _"Would have given him some sort of idea telling him that we're not around here"_ he tilted his head to the side a little nodding at the Time Lady when he realised that the two humans were staring at him and Rita nodding their heads at each other as if they were both mad.

"Oh, we're freelancers." He snapped his head over to them waving a hand. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result, Huon particles in liquid form."

Rita picked up a container. "And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked them both.

Rita then slowly twisted the top of the container and it started to glow gold. She looked up a little and noticed so was Donna who was gasping at the sight looking terrified. "Oh, my God!"

"Genius." The Doctor beamed. "Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then. Ha!" He jumped backwards causing Donna and Lance to jump in their skin with shock Rita however slightly moved out the way seeing the redheads face and knowing what was about to happen just by seeing that.

"The wedding!" The Doctor put his hands to his head in thought. "Yes, you're getting married, that's it!" He pointed at her talking excited and very fast. "Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. Wham! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking!" He pointed to her. "Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!" Donna then raised her arm slapping the Doctor right across the face causing him to stumble back and touch his cheek. He looked at Rita for help. The Time Lady just crossed her arms and gave him a look signalling that he was on his own this time.

"What did I do this time?" He shrieked looking at Donna still touching his cheek where she had slapped him.

"Are you enjoying this?" She asked him. "Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?" She looked at him.

"Yes." He replied.

 _"Doctor"_ Rita looked at him raising her brows sadly, wanting him to tell the poor woman the truth.

"Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?" She asked quietly.

"Because they were deadly." He quietly replied. Rita moved over to the red head and placed a hand on her shoulder as she gasped. "Oh, my God."

"Donna we will sort it" the Time Lady promised. "I don't make a promise I can't keep. Even the Doctor knows that." She looked at him and he nodded. "Whatever has been done to you. It will be reversed" she promised now facing the woman with her hands on each of her shoulders.

"Oh, she is long since lost." A voice from an unknown location told them. A wall behind them began to slowly slide up revealing a large, deep hole in the middle. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" Rita noticed Lance running away in the corner of her eye.

"Someone's been digging." The Doctor and Rita walked forward looking over the hole.

"This has Torchwood written all over it." Rita peered over.

"Stone how far do you think it goes?" The Doctor asked.

"Hmm not sure" she hummed. "Maybe our new friend can inform us" she replied.

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" It told them.

"Really? Seriously? What for?" The Doctor asked.

"Dinosaurs." Donna blurted out and the two Time Lords turned to her.

"What?" They both said in unison.

"Dinosaurs?" She repeated.

"Oh, it's that film" Rita nodded making an 'o' shape with her mouth laughing a little. "Under the Earth, with dinosaurs. Oh, that's weird, something I remember from the parallel world." She said and the Doctor raised a brow.

 _'Definitely going to have to run some tests'_ he thought to himself.

"Parallel what?" Donna asked.

"That's not helping Stone" the Doctor muttered at her.

"Such a sweet couple." The voice hissed at them causing Rita to frown shaking her head.

"I don't enjoy talking to air so where are you?" The Time Lady asked looking at the ceiling.

"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night." It hissed

"We didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom." The Doctor stated.

"I think it's scared, are you?" Rita asked. "No, of course, you wouldn't be scared of us. You don't know us, do you?"

"So come on then who are you?"

"Who are you with such command?" The voice asked.

"I'm the Doctor and this is the Stone" He answered.

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you and your Stone will be sick at heart."

"Oh, why do they always assume that" Rita groaned looking at the Doctor. "Do I look like a pet?" She then looked over at the Doctor and Donna, they both shrugged at the Time Lady not answering her question. The three looked back and noticed that the voice had teleported itself and was now connected to a face.

"Oh, look" Rita turned her head towards the red giant spider-like creature. "Racnoss" She identified it as.

"But that's impossible." The Doctor frowned looking at it. "You're one of the Racnoss?"

"Empress of the Racnoss." It corrected him.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or, are you the only one?" The Doctor questioned.

"I think it is," Rita added.

"Such sharp minds." It hissed at them.

"That's it, the last of your kind." The Doctor then turned to Donna and explained to the woman who was looking a little shocked that a giant red spider as she would most likely call it stood in the same room as her. "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?" The Empress asked them.

"Destroying and ruining planets? No, but you could have at least not do it in such a savage way" Rita glared at it.

"They eat people?" Donna asked.

 _"Oh no Doctor, look up,"_ Rita telepathically told him glancing up to see what looked like a man's feet poking out of a large web across the ceiling.

The Doctor moved his eyes upwards and noticed what she was talking about. "HC Clements, did he wear those, those er, black and white shoes?"

"He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." Donna replied to the Doctor who then silently pointed upwards to the feet

"Oh, my God!" Donna gasped stepping back slightly. Rita wrapped an arm around the redhead's shoulder trying to comfort her. It wasn't every day you saw your boss hanging dead from a giant web with a giant red spider standing before you.

"Mmm. My Christmas dinner." It cackled trying to hurt the woman's feelings.

"You shouldn't even exist. Way back in history, the fledgeling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out." The Doctor said to the Empress coldly

"Except for me."

"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing." The Empress went to move round but was directed back to Donna after she demanded it. "Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" The Empress went to turn again. "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me." She demanded.

"The bride is so feisty." It hissed.

Rita noticed Lance sneaking up on the Empress out of the corner of her eye trying not to bring to much attention to him, Donna was having a moment and had to get it out of her system. "Yes, I am!" She shouted at it. "And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!" She shouted and Lance began to swing the axe he was holding. The Empress turned and hissed at the man who then cackled with a laugh which the Empress joined in with.

"That was a good one. Your face." Lance chuckled pointing at the Empress.

"Lance is funny." The Empress told them.

Donna looked at the two confused and looking heart broken. "What?"

"I'm sorry." The Doctor's face saddened then looked at Rita watching the woman with the same face as his own. "We both are"

"Sorry for what?" She looked between the Time Lords then back at the groom. "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

Lance groaned stopping his act. "God, she's thick. Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map." He snapped.

Donna began to tear up her voice cracking a little. The Time Lady squeezed her shoulder in comfort. "I don't understand."

"How did you meet him?" The Doctor softly asked her.

"In the office."

"Donna" Rita softly said to her quietly. The woman turned her head to her. "He made you coffee, I'm sorry"

"What?" She looked at Lance confused.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months."

"Six months of coffee filled with huon particles.

"He was poisoning me." Her voice cracked and the Time Lords looked at the woman sadly.

"It was all there in the job title. The Head of Human Resources." The Doctor grimly looked at Lance.

"This time, it's personnel." He grinned at them.

"But, we were getting married." Donna cried.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap. Oh, Brad and Angelina. Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal." He spat.

"I'll tell you what you deserve" Rita snapped then stopped when she felt the Doctor grasp a hold on her wrist stopping her. She sighed looking down and shaking her head.

"But is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you, her consort?" He asked letting go of the Time Lady.

"It's better than a night with her." He nodded over to Donna.

"But I love you." She cried. Lance pursed his lips clearly enjoying himself.

"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all." he looked up at the ceiling meaning the universe. "I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?" He looked at him then looked to Rita. "And you Stone"

"Who is this little physician and his woman ?" the Empress turned to them.

"She said Martian." Lance looked over at Donna and Rita felt her lip twitch in amusement after frowning at what the Empress called her. _'The one time I am glad to be called a bloody martian.'_

"Oh, I'm sort of homeless." The Doctor waved off.

"Same for me" Rita shrugged letting go of Donna and nodding slightly at her before following the Doctor. "Guess I'm stuck here now" She shrugged. "Wasn't planning on going back anyways, I do have a question though because while you have been having a nice chat and all I have been thinking" She placed her hands behind her back and started to rock back and forth on the heels of her feet. "What's the big hole for?"

The Doctor stood beside the Time Lady and continued for her. "Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think they want us to talk." Lance looked at the Empress

"I think so, too." She nodded in agreement.

"Well, tough! All we need is Donna." Lance sneered.

"Kill this chattering little doctor man"

"That also includes you Stone" Lance narrowed his eyes at her.

"Don't you hurt them!" Donna shouted running in front of the Time Lords and spreading her arms out to try and protect them.

"No, no, Donna. It's all right." The Doctor told her.

"No, I won't let them." She told them both her eyes watery.

"At arms!" The Empress shouted and robots on the sides of the room above on a pathway pointed their guns at the Time Lords.

"Ah that's not good" Rita held her hands up in signalling for them to wait a moment.

"Take aim!" The Empress screeched.

"I just want to point out the obvious." The Doctor spoke upholding the same gesture as Rita.

"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots." She promised them.

"Just, just, just, just, just hold on." The Doctor looked at them seriously and slowly reached for his pocket. "Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it, and the spaceship comes to her." He turned the knob on the Huon container just as the Empress shouted for the robots to start firing at the Time Lords. The TARDIS suddenly appeared around the three and Rita let out a sigh. "Off we go." He ran to the console.

"Don't you mean Allons-y?" Rita grinned following him pulling levers and pressing buttons knowing exactly where he was planning on going. The TARDIS wheezed dematerialising.

"Are you ever going to stop?" He asked her. "What are you doing anyways?" He looked up continuing to run around the TARDIS.

"What does it look like?" She asked. "I'm helping. I know where you're thinking of going so I'm helping" He looked at her for a moment his face falling a little. "Sorry" She muttered noticing his reaction. "I just assumed"

"What?" He looked at her.

"I assumed that you," she trailed off shaking her head, "never mind" She sighed stepping back. His eyes widened at what she thought, did she really think that he didn't want her help? That he didn't want her to fly the TARDIS? Frantically the Doctor shook his head.

"No, no no" He started laughing. "I just haven't flown the TARDIS with another Time Lord in a very, very long time, I just remembered that. Of course, you can fly her, why did you think I taught you and not just told you what to do when we were saving Donna?"

"Oh,womans" She blinked at him.

"I'm still here" The redhead groaned at the two crossing her arms and sitting in the jump seat.

"I wouldn't sit there" he pointed to her. "Someone else likes that spot" He glanced over to Rita then looked back at Donna as the brunette shook her head at him. "Oh," he then looked back at Donna. "Do you know what we said before about time machines? Well, we lied. And now we're going to use it." He and Rita then continued to run around the console again pulling levers, pressing buttons and turning dials. The TARDIS then began to wheeze yet again and the rotor then moved up and down signalling that the TARDIS was heading through the vortex. "We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene. I've always wanted to see this. Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before."

"Make that two of us" Rita grinned pulling another lever.

"We've arrived." The Doctor then turned to the redhead looked was slumped in the jump seat staring down at her hands very upset.

"Donna" Rita slowly walked over sitting down beside her placing a hand on her arm. "Forget him, I know it's hard but you have to try. He was an idiot like most men at times" She looked up glaring at the Doctor for how insensitive he had been about the woman's feelings all day, but then her face softened. She could see the pain of him losing one of his best friends in his eyes, he had known Rose longer than she had, even if she had watched the show it was as if most of her memories were gone. Like she had never met the blonde before she met the Doctor, of course, she knew the blonde for almost a good year but still. "Sometimes they have reasons" she then added before her eyes flickered back to the woman beside her after the Doctor sent her a soft sad smile. "But do you know what Donna?"

"What?" She sniffed mumbling and not looking up from her hands.

"I see a brilliant woman." She smiled warmly at her. "Most people would have run off at the first opportunity but you didn't Donna, when the Doctor said that he and I could handle it you told us you were coming. That takes a large amount of bravery." Donna slowly lifted her head and gave the brunette a small sad smile. "Now, do you want to look outside?"

"I suppose." She muttered. Rita stood up holding out her hand for the woman to take. "I think your way is much better, sorry Doctor" She looked over to him grinning. The Doctor rolled his eyes at her and walked over to the door then opened them standing out the way and stepping beside Rita letting the woman see the stars.

"Donna Noble, welcome to the creation of the Earth." He announced. _"That was some speech Rita"_

 _"I was very well known for cheering people up back on-"_ She stopped mid-sentence.

 _"On what?"_ He asked raising a brow at her.

 _"Gallifrey_ " She quietly mumbled into his mind before she gulped and looked at the Time Lord for his reaction. The Doctor sadly nodded his head and gulped as well.

 _"So you're still remembering things?"_ The Time Lady nodded her head sadly not thinking that she would ever fully remember everything, she strongly could remember what her home looked like if there was anything she wanted to remember, any planet. She was happy it was that one.

The Doctor took another large gulp thinking more about his home, his eyes flicking over to her as she stared out at the stars. The Time Lady thankfully didn't notice and watched the stars with Donna waiting for the beginning of the Earth. "We've gone back four point six billion years." The Doctor informed Donna. "There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun, over there." He pointed to it over Donna's shoulder. "Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?" She asked.

"Everywhere" Rita smiled at her. "The Earth is dust at the moment, technically speaking"

"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just tiny." She muttered.

"But you're really not." She shook her head not accepting what the woman just said. "Doctor you're better at explaining this" She sighed.

"Leave everything to me why not" He shook his head. "The human race makes sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So I came out of all this?" She asked gesturing to everything around her.

"Isn't that brilliant?" He asked.

"I don't think the word 'brilliant' even begins to describe how truly amazingly beautiful this is" Rita softly smiled. "The universe is definitely amazing."

A large rock then floated past gracefully and Donna pointed to it. "I think that's the Isle of Wight." The Time Lords both let out a chuckle happy that the woman was gaining back a sense of humour again.

The Doctor then explained how it all started to the redhead. "Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get-"

"The Earth." Donna sighed in awe.

"But the question is, what was that first rock?" He asked.

"I think I just found out the answer to your question Doctor" Rita replied as a seven pointed star came into view.

"The Racnoss." He muttered watching it. "Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"

"Hiding" Rita replied and he then understood as the rocks and dust around the ship began to get pulled towards it starting the creation of the Earth.

"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock." Rita nodded. The three then were jolted causing them to almost lose their balance.

"What was that?" Donna asked sounding terrified.

"Trouble." The Time Lords said in unison closing the TARDIS doors and running to the console.

Rita and the Doctor held the onto the console desperately pulling levers and pressing buttons as well as using their feet since it was almost impossible to fly the TARDIS with only the two of them.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna shouted as the TARDIS shook again.

"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles? Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!" He shouted.

"Well, can't you stop it?" She asked. "Hasn't it got a handbrake?"

"He likes to keep that on!" Rita shouted gritting her teeth as she was violently pushed into the console which hurt.

"The sound makes everything better!" He shouted back to her in protest.

"Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna suggested.

"Backseat driver." Both Time Lords muttered.

"Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!" The Doctor thought aloud bringing out what looked like a giant high-tech surfboard. "It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!"

"Now!" He shouted hitting the hammer with all his might on the TARDIS console. The wheezing of the TARDIS begins again signalling that they were moving. The Time Lords ran out with Donna behind them running in her wedding dress.

"We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!" The Doctor shouted to both of the girls.

"Guessing you don't have a plan?" Rita asked running along side the Doctor.

"Nope" he replied. "You?"

"Do I look like someone who makes a plan?" Rita laughed sprinting down the basement corridor. The Time Lords both skidded to a stop and Donna soon caught up with them. The Doctor pulled out a stethoscope from his pocket and started to use it on the Torchwood door.

"But what do we do?" Donna stopped beside them breathing heavily.

"I don't know. We make it up as we go along. But trust me, we have got a history."

"You do, I don't" Rita told him.

"What do you mean? Of course, you do"

"Well come on I was human only a few days ago" she muttered quietly to the Doctor.

"You still have been by my side for a long time though" he told her in a serious tone. "What is it a year or so now?"

"About that" she smiled. "It sure has been a long time, never regretted changing that bloody light bulb" she laughed remembering back to when she first met the Doctor properly.

"But I still don't understand." Donna spoke up causing the two to lose their train of thought. "I'm full of particles, but what for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but our people unravelled their power source." The Doctor continued with the door not looking back at the two who were both struggling against two of the robots now dragging them away. Rita rolled her eyes at how much he wasn't paying attention. "The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck. They've just taken hibernation for billions of years. Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and the both of you have never been so quiet" He waited for Rita to send a shockingly painful slap on his arm, however, there was nothing. He turned around and groaned noticing they were both nowhere to be seen. Using the sonic screwdriver he unlocked and opened the door to be greeted by one of the robots pointing a gun at him.

"Will you two ever stop arguing" Rita rolled her eyes stuck up in the web next to Donna. "Of all the ways I ever imagined to go I didn't expect it to be hanging from a giant web with a huge hole going to the centre of the Earth directly below me. Maybe to the Daleks it that would be a less embarrassing way to go." She snapped at the two finishing her rant to them.

"I hate you." Donna spat harshly in a whisper to Lance ignoring the brunettes comments hoping Rita wouldn't hear, obviously being right next to her the Time Lady did and groaned again rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart." Lance snapped back at her.

"My golden couple, together at last. Your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

"Yes!" Donna and Lance both said at the same time.

"She isn't going to release us" Rita rolled her eyes yet again. "Even if she did it would be face first into the centre of the Earth.

"You're supposed to say, I do." The Empress hissed at Donna and Lance ignoring the brunette, was everyone doing that today?

"Huh. No chance." He groaned looking at Donna disgusted.

"Say it!" The Empress snapped shouting at them both.

Lance hesitated for a moment before groaning yet again and saying the words: "I do."

"I do," Donna repeated him.

The Empress looked at the two highly amused. "I don't." It sneered at them. "Activate the particles. Purge every last one." She ordered the robots. Donna and Lance then began to glow the golden colour similar like before.

"And release!" She ordered. The Huon particles then zoomed straight down into the hole.

"Knew I bloody hated Torchwood," Rita muttered. "What am I even here for?" She looked at the Empress. "Why do you need me?"

"With you here, your precious Doctor will come running to save you" she cackled.

"Mine? Precious?" Rita started to laugh. "Please if anything he's my best friend. Nothing more than that" she shook her head. Donna looked at her a little confused after seeing the way they both acted around each other. "So tell me" she then spoke again. "What did the Huon particles do?" She raised a brow wanting to explain for Donna so she wouldn't later.

"The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages." It replied.

"Who will? What's down there?" Donna asked.

"How thick are you?" Lance snapped at her.

"Obviously a lot less than you." Rita told him raising her brows. "I don't know about you but I don't think Donna would go trusting a red spider that promises her that she will see the universe if she does as it says, definitely not as thick as you Lance." The man then shut his mouth not daring to say another word making the Time Lady nod in achievement.

The Empress then explained to Donna. "My children, the long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh! The web star shall come to me. My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."

"Use them, not me!" Lance pleaded. Donna's eyes widened in horror as the Time Lady glared at his cowardly act.

"Ah well, you see" Rita began hoping to stall it until the Doctor appeared. "Perhaps you should wait until Boxing day, nice little boxing day dinner for the kids?" She raised a brow hoping that the Empress would come to an agreement.

"Oh, my funny little Lance!" The Empress ignored the Time Lady... again. "But you are quite impolite to your lady friend and the little Doctor man's woman."

"How many times do I have to say" Rita groaned yet again. "The Doctor is my friend. F-R-I-E-N-D. Use me instead of him though, I'm much tastier and I'm a martian" Rita winked at Donna signalling to her that she knew what she was doing seeing a figure step up over at the stairs.

"The Empress has chosen and does not approve." She stated before Lance's web released him and he fell straight into the hole.

"Lance!" Donna cried out gasping as she watched the man she loved fall to her certain death.

"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat." The Empress shouted. My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." She cackled. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man." The Empress looked over to where what supposedly was a robot. The man behind it sighed removing the mask and taking the hood down and removing it all together leaving him back in his pinstripe suit.

"Oh well. Nice try." He shrugged. "I've got you, Donna!" He pointed his sonic screwdriver at Donna and the web started to break.

"I'm going to fall!" She cried.

"No Donna! You're going to swing! Trust me he's got you!" Rita shouted as the web snapped. Donna grabbed on for dear life screaming as she swung past across the hole past the Empress. The Doctor held out his hands for her. The web was too long and Donna crashed to the floor.

"Oh. Sorry." He muttered looking down over the railing to see Donna lying there flat on her back.

"Thanks for nothing." She groaned sitting up and brushing herself off then standing.

"The doctor man amuses me. I still have your precious Stone, however." It cackled.

"Are you sure about that? Stone?" he raised a brow before he pointed the sonic at the web again, it snapped. Rita held on to the rope-like web and swung across like Donna. The Doctor held out his arms as she laughed swinging across, the web was short enough as she continued to happily scream as swinging across and knocked into the Doctor who stumbled back a little but managed to keep upright.

"Oh, hello" he grinned at her. "You okay?"

"Better now that I'm not up there above that" she gestured to the hole. The Doctor nodded and raised a brow when she started to stare at him. "Doctor" she tried not to show the grin on her face she was holding back. "You can put me down now" The Doctor looked at Rita then down at her feet realising he still was holding her in his arms he gently lowered her to the floor and felt his cheeks slightly burn.

Shaking his head he ignored the feeling and slight rise in body temperature putting his attention back to the Empress. "Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now." He warned.

"These men are so funny."

"Oh, he's not joking" Rita leant on the railing standing beside the Doctor.

"What's your answer?" The Doctor asked ignoring Rita's comment.

"Oh, I'm afraid I have to decline." The Empress sneered not realising what she had just done.

"You called on this yourself Empress," Rita said a little sadly. "You have no one to blame for what happens next but yourself."

"I'll show you what happens next." It snapped at them. "At arms!" It shouted and the robots followed orders tirning towards the Time Lords who didn't seem fazed. As lightly scary as this was Rita knew that the Doctor had a remote, if he took as long as he did she knew he had found one, plus she trusted him to have one. "Take aim!" They pointed the weapons at the Time Lords. "And-"

"Relax." The Doctor took out a remote control very similar to the one the robot Santa's had earlier in the day. He pressed a button and the robots arched forward no longer operating.

"What did you do?" Donna looked up at them. They both leant forward to speak.

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" The Doctor asked showing the control.

"Pockets." The Time Lords said at the same time.

"How did that fit in there?" She asked confused.

"They're bigger on the inside." He grinned at her.

"Roboforms are not necessary." The Empress pulled the attention back to itself. "My children may feast on Martian flesh."

"Oh, but we're not from Mars." He told it.

"Then where?" The Doctor looked at Rita who nodded resting her hand on top of his letting him know that she was there with him. He had been the last of the Time Lords for so long. Now he was no longer alone.

"Our home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on." He paused then glanced over to Rita with his eyes seeing her there. "Gallifrey." They both said.

The Empress gasped and cried out. "They murdered the Racnoss!"

"Empress we warned you what would happen. You only did this to yourself" Rita coldly told it as the Doctor reached into his pocket and took out the Christmas tree baubles and threw them into the air and used the remote control to direct them. The Empress cried out as loud explosions were heard and the sound of water began to echo in the area.

The water then bursted into the room and traveled to the hole falling in and therefore killing the Empresses children. The Doctor and Rita watched on with unreadable unaffected faces not showing any emotion or mercy for the Empress. They had warned it and this is what happened when you ignored the Doctors warnings. But was this what Rita was to become. Like him? She told him she was the same. Yet this was most definitely the opposite of her, Rita Stone wouldn't have done this, she wouldn't have allowed it. Had she changed? Was it because of him?

"No! No!" The Empress cried out in emotional pain and suffering. "My children! No! My children!" It cried out over and over. "My children!"

"Doctor..." the Stone swallowed seeing the water flowing in at a fast rate, her voice sounding thick with worry. The Time Lord continued to stand there, he gaze just as cold as his brow eyes at he stared at the Empress who cried out for her children.

"Doctor! Stone!" Donna shouted up at them. "You can stop now!" She shouted. Rita and the Doctor both gritted their teeth. Rita heard Donna's pleade and it almost reminded her of herself only a few months maybe a few days ago where she would have never allowed the Doctor to do this.

"My children!" The Empress cried again. A tear trickled out of Rita's eye slowly falling down her cheek and dropping to the floor. The Doctor noticed and squeezed her hand.

 _"I'm so sorry Rita"_ he then looked down at Donna. "Come on. Time I got you out." The Doctor holding on to the Time Lady's hand tightly took her down the stairs to get Donna. They then turned the other way and headed up. They were both soaked. Rita's shirt was surely ruined with a small rip she hadn't noticed earlier from where she had tried to fight back the robot that pulled her away. Her vans were definitely ruined _again_ for quite possibly the _eighth_ time. Or _ninth._ Honestly the Time Lady had lost count.

They climbed the ladder and the Doctor opened it. Rita got out first almost falling off of the thing but the Doctor quickly grabbed on to her waist. Her eyes widened and she felt her hearts beat a little faster and cheeks grow in colour which was quite unusual due to the Time Lady's pale skin. He quickly let go noticing Donna's giggles seeing the Time Lady's reaction. He then helped Donna up who almost fell herself and grabbed on to her arm to stop her from falling. The three then began to laugh.

"Just there's one problem," Donna spoke between her chuckles.

"Which would be?" Rita asked her hearts now calming themselves and her cheeks returning to normal colour.

"We've drained the Thames." She laughed again. Rita then laughed hugging the redhead and then the Doctor shaking her head and just admiring the view.

The Doctor and Rita stepped out of the TARDIS followed by Donna.

"There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything." He patted the side of the TARDIS smiling.

"More than I've done," Donna commented. The Doctor quickly scanned Donna with his sonic and read the reading smiling then showed Rita.

"No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

"Fine and healthy" Rita smiled.

"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

"I couldn't save him. Neither could the Stone. She tried" he glared at her. "Almost costing her life but she tried" he softened and then turned to Donna to hear her reply.

"He deserved it." She told them. Rita looked at the woman sadly.

"Did he Donna?" The Time Lady questioned. "He just wanted to see the stars. People dream about seeing what we see. Sometimes it even makes them do things they don't want to do to see them. He just wanted to see them so badly." Donna looked down feeling disappointed in herself for what she just said.

"You're completely right Stone, he didn't." Rita stepped forward and gave the woman a hug. After letting go she stepped back to where she was standing again beside the Doctor. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried." She looked over to the window to see her mother and father hugging each other.

"Best Christmas present they could have." Rita lightly slapped his arm and shook her head.

"Do you ever listen?" She asked him crossing her arms. "Donna said that she hated Christmas"

"I was listening, I just forgot." He protested.

"For that big Time Lord brain of yours, you do forget and act like a complete idiot at times." She shook her head a little and the Doctor grumbled at her. "Now Donna," the Time Lady changed to conversation. "If I know the Doctor as well as I do from having to spend 3 hours locked up in a prison listening to him go on about everything and everything under the bloody Earths sun" she glared at him for a moment then winked at him, turning back to the redhead. "Then I know he is planning something to try amd impress you into thinking that Christmas is not bad."

"Sometimes I wonder if you know me a little too well." He muttered "Would you hate Christmas even if it snowed?" He asked Donna then reached up to the TARDIS lamp making it to turn yellow. A bolt of energy then shot up into the sky and a snow shower then fell around them.

"I can't believe you did that!" Donna gasped looking up.

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation." He shrugged.

"Merry Christmas Donna" Rita smiled.

"Merry Christmas you both." Donna returned the smile.

The Doctor began smiling as well "And you. So, what will you do with yourself now?" He asked. Rita knew where this was going and was itching to know what the redhead would say.

She laughed "Not getting married, for starters. And I'm not going to temp anymore. I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something."

The Doctor looked over at Rita for a moment who nodded knowing what he was going to ask. "Well, you could always" he began to mutter and looked down mumbling the rest. Rita rolled her eyes knowing Donna couldn't hear as well as Time Lords therefore she had no idea what he just said.

"What?" She looked at them.

"Come with us?" He looked at her hopefull.

"No." she replied. Rita gave a small, sad smile knowing that some people couldn't. Some people could and some people couldn't and Donna just couldn't.

"Okay." The Doctor nodded.

"I can't." She told them.

"It's completely fine Donna" The Time Lady reassured her.

"No, but really. Everything we did today. Do you both live your lives like that?" She asked looking between the two.

Rita swallowed and looked at the ground then back at the redhead. "We don't all the time."

"I think you do." She looked between them again. "And I couldn't."

"But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful."

 _"Doctor..."_

"And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and you two just stood there like, I don't know, strangers." She then looked at the Doctor. "And then you made it snow. I mean, you two scare me to death."

"He scares me to death as well sometimes" Rita smiled and the Doctor then glared at her.

"Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner." The Doctor looked at Rita pleading for her to say no and decline. The Time Lady sadly shook her head knowing that the Doctor spent last Christmas with... he was still hurting from loosing a friend like that, it hurt her to see him like this. She was trapped in a parallel universe, something he could do nothing about. "Oh, come on." Donna begged them.

"I don't do that sort of thing."

"And I can't go leaving him on his own." Rita nodded over at the Doctor. "Might ditch me here" she smiled jokingly. "If I want to be ditched anywhere it would be Bath. Sometimes you can't forget about the closest thing to home" she mumbled.

"But you did it last year." She looked at the Doctor. "You said so. And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

"Oh, all right then. But you go first. Better warn them. And don't say we're Martians." He looked back at the TARDIS. "I just have to park her properly. She might drift off to the Middle Ages. I'll see you in a minute."

 _"Wait a minute Doctor. I want to at least say goodbye to her"_ he nodded and stepped inside the TARDIS to 'park her properly'.

"I'm just saying goodbye now" Rita shrugged.

"You'll see me again won't you?" Donna raised a brow.

"Hopefully. You're not so bad Donna, don't let anyone tell you your bad because your not"

"Thank you" Donna smiled and gave the brunette a hug. "I was wondering ever since the whole taxi thing." Donna began. "What are you two" she waved her hands in the air before Rita began to speak. "Not like that" she laughed. "But you and him" she looked at the TARDIS. "You said best friends earlier. It looks more than that to me" she crossed her arms.

"I've only known him for a year. There are so many things I don't know about him Donna. We're just friends, really great friends"

Donna nodded. "I'll be the judge of that next time I see you" she hugged the brunette one more time.

"I better go give him a hand with parking her" Rita shook her head. "He can be an idiot at times" she smiled to the redhead and then entered the TARDIS. The TARDIS started to wheeze and dematerialise.

"Is that Donna I can hear shouting?" Rita asked looking at the Doctor. He pulled a lever and Rita pocked her head out just after the Doctor.

"Blimey, you can shout." The Doctor stepped out after her frowning at the woman wondering what she wanted.

"Am I ever going to see you two again?"

"What did The Stone say?" He asked raising a brow as she then popped her head out of the door.

"Hopefully" she quoted the Time Lady.

"If we're lucky." He grinned then looked down at Rita who nodded approvingly.

"You two just promise me one thing. Find someone." Rita frowned needing it to be explained further.

"We don't need anyone." He shook his head.

"Yes, you do." She protested. "Because sometimes, I think you both need someone to stop you." She truthfully told them and Rita slowly nodded understanding what she had meant.

"Yeah. Thanks then, Donna." He smiled. "Good luck. And just be magnificent."

"I think I will, yeah." Donna nodded. The Time Lords then headed back inside only to hear the redhead shouting for them both again.

"Oh, what is it now?" The Doctor whined. Rita slapped his arm and scolded him.

"That friend What was her name?"

The Doctor took a large gulp feeling a small lump form at the back of his throat, tears begin to well up in his eyes, Rita took his hand gently squeezing it as he swallowed his voice cracking when he spoke. "Her name was Rose."


	5. Smith, Stone and Jones

"I told you Rita" the Doctor beamed reading the results. "Completely fine no unnatural brain activity, completely healthy."

"How can I remember random things though?" She asked leaning against the console with her arms crossed against her chest. "Like I can remember having to drag you along when you were acting drunk on that spaceship, or that I used to absolutely hate the couple next door to my apartment" she shivered a little. "Months, I had no sleep for months and now I can go days without it!" She groaned.

"You're still getting used to it, your not like other Time Lords who have become human you remember being human Rita as if you're still yourself. You also said it yourself the Daleks must have done something to the watch"

"That's what I'm worried about" she ran a hand through her hair and started pacing back and forth in front of the Doctor. He raised a brow following the brunette with his eyes.

"If they messed with the watch with my essence inside then who knows what they could have done" she groaned heading towards the hall. The Doctor sighed following the brunette.

"Rita stop" he followed her and groaned as she ignored him. "Stop!" He grabbed her wrist forcing her to turn around and look at him.

"Yes?" She sighed sounding slightly annoyed by his persistence.

"Who am I?" He asked placing his hands on her shoulders. She blinked not understanding what he was talking about. "Who am I?" He repeated.

"The Doctor of course" she answered turning to head away. He forced her to stay where she was and she grumbled at him.

"Exactly which means I will keep doing these tests until you ask me to stop because you're my friend Rita, my best friend and as long as I keep doing these tests and you calm down and they show normal results you are fine."

The brunette breathed out a deep long sigh and nodded slowly looking at his eyes which showed worry at the current moment. "I'm just not used to it, well I am but I'm not if you understand what I mean." He nodded at her understanding that it scared her that the Daleks had been tampering with the watch while she was still inside, scared that they did something which could harm her or those around her, scared that they would hurt the Doctor, her best friend.

"Now then" he gently let go of her shoulders not realising himself that he had his hands tightly holding on to them, he let them drop to his sides. "I was doing some readings on the Earth yesterday and there was an odd signal coming from a hospital. Want to go take a look?" He grinned knowing that she wouldn't turn this down.

"Doctor you really do know how to cheer a friend up" she grinned following the Doctor back into the console room.

"Oh, I almost forgot" he chuckled. "The TARDIS made you a gift for saying thank you for flying her so well the other day"

"The TARDIS?" Rita blinked not expecting that. The Doctor hummed a 'yes' response and dived into his pocket then beamed when he found what he was looking for.

"Oh, well I say" Rita beamed as he placed the object in her hands. "She made me a sonic" the Time Lady admired it. "Hmm very nice" she looked at it closely. There was a dark almost black metal, unlike the Doctors which was a more silver. The handle itself had a golden tint to it which actually looked quite shiny to Rita's amusement. There was also a clear white emitter at the tip where on the Doctors sonic it is blue.

"Thank you" she patted the console then turned to the Doctor. "Thank you Doctor" she also gave him a hug.

"What for?" He asked her yet still accepting her embrace.

"For suggesting it and being a brilliant friend."

"Your welcome" he laughed. "Now we're going to around 2007 to 2008 the signal was a little weak in telling the year." He shrugged.

"That's good because while you figure out which year, I can go change" she laughed walking down the hall and heading into her room to change.

Finally finished and happy with her clothing choices of _another_ pair of maroon vans with black comfy jeans and a plain white top she headed to the console room she left her hair alone knowing it wasn't something she honestly enjoyed, putting her hair up. She grabbed the black jacket on the way out and placed it on her sonic going inside the left pocket which thankfully was bigger on the inside otherwise her sonic would always be poking out of her pocket.

"You took twenty minutes to change into that?" The Doctor raised a brow.

"What something wrong?" She raised a brow mimicking him.

"No everything is fine" he nodded. "Still could have hurried up" he then muttered quietly. She glared at him from the other side of the console moving her head to the side of the rotor to see him.

"I heard that" his eyes widened seeing the look on her face and then ran round the TARDIS pulling levers and pressing buttons.

"Did you not get us there already?" Rita groaned at him.

"No I was busy scanning the area" he rolled his eyes as the TARDIS finished wheezing signalling that they were there.

"You know when you said do I want to take a look at them signals I didn't imagine that you would end up pretending to be sick and lay around in a hospital bed. I thought you hated hospitals?" Rita quietly groaned knowing that there was only a curtain between them and the rest of the ward. She slumped back into sitting in the chair and glared at the Doctor who just held a smug look on his face.

"One more day Rita." He shook his head. "One more day and then we can go"

"Good" she shook her head at him. They then both looked up and the hospital curtain was pulled around the sides showing a group of hospital staff.

"Now then, Mister Smith, Mrs Smith. a very good morning to you both" Rita glared at the Doctor yet again for his 'brilliant idea' to be fair it was quite clever, the hospital made visitor times allocated. Luckily that didn't include if you were a close family. "How are you both today?"

"I'm good thank you, then again I'm not the patient Mister Stoker." She chuckled shaking her head and setting down the book she held in her hand.

"Yes that is very true" he nodded attempting to be polite. "Mister Smith?"

"Oh, not so bad. Still a bit, you know, blah." He stuck out his tongue like a child, Rita rolled her eyes at his behaviour.

"John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains." The man turned towards what looked like Doctors in training. "Miss Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me." He stepped out of the way for the young woman with dark toned skin and black hair.

"That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?" She looked at the Doctor stepping forward.

"Sorry?" Both Time Lords replied confused.

"On Chancellor Street this morning? You came up to me and took your tie off."

"Really? What did I do that for?" The Doctor asked.

"Does sound like something you would do" Rita hummed.

"I don't know, you just did." Miss Jones replied.

"But he definitely was here all morning with me, wouldn't let me leave at all, he was complaining that he had nothing to do,any more" Rita told Miss Jones.

"Well, that's weird, cause it looked like you." She turned to the Doctor. "Have you got a brother?" She asked him.

"Oh, not anymore." He shook his head. "Just me."

Mister Stoker sighed out of impatience. "As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones."

"Sorry. Right." She nodded and took a stethoscope from her neck and listened for the man's heart. Or hearts in the Doctors case. She frowned looking at the Doctor who winked at Miss Jones. Rita bit her lip trying to hold in the smug grin she was desperately trying to hide.

Mister Stoker sighed. "I weep for future generations. Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?" He asked.

The Doctor and Rita both looked at her and she stuttered. "Er, I don't know. Stomach cramps?"

Mister Stoker then groaned. "That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart." Mister Stoker then went to pick up the clipboard and dropped it jumping back in shock. The two Time Lords looked at each other raising a brow.

"That happened to me this morning." Miss Jones told Mister Stoker.

"I had the same thing on the door handle." A man standing beside the other 'Doctors in training' added.

"And me, on the lift." Another stated.

"That's only to be expected." Mister Stoker smiled picking the clipboard back up. "There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by. Anyone?" He looked at the young people around him.

The Time Lords both grinned and answered in unison: "Benjamin Franklin."

"Correct." He turned to them both.

"My mate, Ben." The Doctor chuckled. "That was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked.." he rambled on.

"Quite."

"Didn't you tell me you got electrocuted as well?" Rita looked at him and he nodded.

"Yeah, I did."

Mister Stoker looked at them both a little concerned, Rita and the Doctor grinned seeing Miss Jones, amused reaction behind Mister Stoker. "Moving on." He turned around towards the young people. "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric for them both" he muttered. Martha looked at the pair grinning matching their expressions and then followed the group.

"And now they think we're crazy" Rita muttered.

"Aren't we though?" The Doctor looked at her.

"Fair point" she tilted her head. "That shock Mister Stoker got with the clipboard. It wasn't because of a storm you don't think?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Can't be, it happened to a load of them. What do you do when you can't explain something?" He asked her.

"You try to ignore it, or you think of something to explain what it is even when you know it isn't that"

"Exactly" he grinned at her. "Now I don't know about you but I have had enough of laying about"

"I've had enough of running after you for the past day because the bloody nurses won't let you leave this ward"

"Always lovely to have you around Rita"

"When isn't it?" she grinned smugly as the Doctor got up out of the bed shaking his head at her and then sneaked off with the brunette to investigate.

"We should head back" Rita suggested walking through the corridor with the Doctor. "Something doesn't feel right" he looked at her raising a brow for the Time Lady to explain.

"I saw it started raining outside one of the windows. Pouring down all of a sudden, way too sudden"

"Oh, you did?" He raised a brow.

"Yeah we should head back anyways those nurses are probably freaking out even more than they should" he chuckled slightly understanding what she meant.

"You do have a point, anyone who says they have met Benjamin Franklin is going to have people think they lost it" They walk past the staff room in silence hearing Miss Jones mention about the rain to someone over the phone on their way back to the ward.

"She's clever" Rita pointed out after they had walked far enough away from the room that no one would hear her.

"Don't you get any ideas" he pointed at her as they continued to walk through the hospital corridor.

"I only said she was clever" the Time Lady protested holding her hands up.

"Yeah but I know what you are thinking by that" he groaned.

After heading back to the ward the whole building began to shake. The Doctor and Rita fell to the ground at the sudden violent shaking. He grabbed hold of her arm. The Doctor grabbed hold on the hospital bed with his other arm.f

After a minute or so the shaking of the building stopped. The Time Lords looked up. There were people laying on the ground and items on the floor broken into pieces.

"I said something was wrong" she muttered.

"Right stay here, oh and where did you put my suit?" the Doctor asked.

"What can't go saving the world in jim jams again?" She joked. The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Seeing the brown suit every day got a little boring so I picked up a blue one for you, it's in the bag under the bed. He nodded and pulled the curtain around. Rita rolled her eyes then noticed Miss Jones walk in and started to try to calm the panicking people to relax

"All right now, everyone back to bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out. Don't worry." Rita crossed her arms and watched the woman carefully as she helped a fee people up then walked over standing near a window with another one of the Doctors in training from earlier who looked very panicked. "It's real. It's really real."

"Of course it is" Rita walked over to the two staring out the window. "Mrs Smith is Mr Smith okay?" She asked.

"Oh he's fine" she waved an arm.

"Wait, hold on." Miss Jones then reached up to open the window.

"Don't we'll lose all the air!" Her friend reached to grab her arm away from the window.

"What do you think Miss Jones?" Rita raised a brow crossing her arms across her chest.

"They're not exactly air tight." She said making Rita nod. "If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?" She asked the other woman and Rita gave a small smile.

"Very good point. Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?" The Doctor stepped out of the curtain with his new blue suit on swiftly shutting the curtain.

"Martha." She replied.

"I did tell you she was clever" Rita smugly grinned knowing too well that she was right. "Also blue suits you" She looked up and down eyeing the blue suit.

"I best keep it then if I suit this suit" He grinned at her. "Also I suppose you are right there." He mimicked her tone from before, then looked over at Martha. "And it was Jones, wasn't it?" She nodded. "Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can't be." Marthas friend butted in.

"Obviously we are, so don't waste my time. Ow!" He cried out and turned to the left in the direction of the pain in his arm. Rita stood there giving him a scolding look.

"Rude" she pointed at him.

"And not ginger" he grinned finishing off what she usually said to him.

"Exactly" she switched her scolding look for a grin which he happily returned.

"Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or-"

"By the patients' lounge, yeah." She cut the Time Lord off.

"Fancy going out?" He asked her raising a brow.

"Okay." She nodded.

"We might die." He told her already knowing that they wouldn't otherwise he would not have asked her.

"We might not." She countered.

"Good. Come on." He then stopped pointing at Martha's friend. "Not her, she'd hold us up." Rita swatted the back of his head with her hand and he winced in pain.

"Rude and not ginger" she muttered. Shaking her head and walked away as Martha lead the way.

They stood by the door and Martha looked at the Time Lords for a moment gulping.

"You can still say no, go back and help all of those people" Rita told her wanting to see if she would back down.

"No way" Martha shook her head at the brunette who smiled at her.

"Well then." She nodded and opened the glass door stepping onto the balcony and taking a breath as the Doctor and Martha did the same.

"We've got air. How does that work?" Rita chuckled a little and the Doctor did the same.

"Just be glad it does."

Martha looked over at the Earth in the distance. "I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really, really-" her voice cracked and the Doctor interrupted walking over to her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? Being on the moon is something you can be 'not okay' about" Rita stood beside the woman placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"Yeah."

"Want to go back in?" He gestured to the door.

"We can if you want,happen" Rita told her.

Martha shook her head at them both. "No way. I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same, it's beautiful."

"Do you think?" He asked her.

"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are." Martha said in awe leaning against the railing.

"Standing in the Earthlight." The Doctor smiled.

"Nothing is more beautiful than this, that is in my book anyways" Rita grinned.

"What do you two think happened?" Martha asked.

"Without knowing anything I have no idea what to think did it, could have been anything"

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked Martha.

"Extraterrestrial." Rita silently groaned at the word. "It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home." The Doctor and Rita both looked at each other remembering the name and how she died.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor sympathetically said to her.

"Yeah." She sadly nodded.

"We were there, in the battle." The Doctor looked down remembering. Rita reached over and took his hand sadly smiling to let him knowing that she felt the same as he did, still hurt over the loss of one of their best friends.

"I promise you, Mister Smith, Mrs Smith. we will find a way out. If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way. "

"It's not Smith. That's not my real name."

"And we're not married either" the Time Lady laughed.

"Who are you, then?" Martha looked at the Doctor then at Rita. "Miss Smith?" Rita shook her head.

"I'm the Doctor." The Time Lord answered.

"Me too, if I can pass my exams." She sighed. "And you?" She looked over at Rita.

"I'm the Stone, not as good as a name like the Doctor but it's nice."

"The Stone?" She looked at Rita confused who just nodded at her. Martha then turned to the Doctor. "What is it then, Doctor Smith?"

"Just the Doctor." He replied shaking his head a little.

"How do you mean, just the Doctor?"

"Just the Doctor." He repeated.

"What, people call you the Doctor?" Martha looked at him not believing a word.

"I do" Rita spoke up.

"Yeah. The Stone and many other people do"

"Well, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title. As for you. Your Miss Stone to me."

"Wouldn't be the first time I have been called that." Rita chuckled.

"Well, I'd better make a start." The Doctor said he then picked up a small stone from the balcony. "Let's have a look." He threw the rock away from the hospital. "There must be some sort of Forcefield keeping the air in." The rock then hit what the Doctor had guessed: a force field and then fell to the ground.

"But if that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?"

"Martha, how many people are normally in this hospital?" The brunette asked.

"I don't know. A thousand?"

"One thousand people Suffocating." The Doctor muttered.

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked just as three loud columnar spaceships passed above the hospital.

"Head's up!" The Doctor crouched slightly. "Ask them yourself." The ships then landed a little from the hospital and marching in rows beings with what looked like black helmets marched towards the hospital.

"Aliens. That's aliens. Real, proper aliens." Martha gasped.

"Oh, I should have known" Rita groaned a little.

"Judoon." The Doctor identified.

"Oh, look down there, you've got a little shop. I like a little shop." The Doctor looked through the glass on the floor above the entrance looking down at it with the Judoon going around cataloguing all of the humans trying to find anything non-human as people panicked in fear.

"Really Doctor?" Rita groaned a little. "We're on the moon with limited supply of oxygen with Judoon and all you can think about is a hospitals shop"

"Never mind that. What are Judoon?" Martha asked.

"They're like police. Well, police for hire."

"Not very much like police, to be honest, they're more like interplanetary thugs," Rita added.

"And they brought us to the moon?" Martha asked remembering what the brunette had said earlier.

"Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it. That rain, lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop." The Doctor explained.

"And they thought using the moon and leaving us with limited oxygen was a good idea. They're so thick"

"What are you on about, galactic law? Where'd you get that from?" Martha asked. "If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"No, but that is a good guess," The Doctor replied to Martha as Rita interrupted him. "I like the idea. Honestly, I wish it was so simple but with this lot it never it. Since they're making a catalogue it means their looking for something non-human." Her voice trailed off and her eyes shifted to the Doctor.

"And that Martha is very bad news for me and the Stone."

"Why?" She looked at them both slowly raising a brow at the woman. "Oh, you're kidding me." Rita and the Doctor continued to stare at her. "Don't be ridiculous." She told them. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Come on then." The Doctor took Rita's hand and they moved away from the glass moving to the corridor.

"They've reached the third floor." Martha came running in causing Rita to jump a little thinking she was a Judoon. "What's that thing?" She then nodded at the sonic screwdriver in the Doctors hand.

"His sonic screwdriver" Rita groaned. "Wouldn't even let me use my sonic" she then muttered.

"You can use yours next time" He playfully pointed at Rita enjoying that she was upset about not getting to use her sonic as if it was a toy.

"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly." Martha looked at Rita.

"No, really, it is. It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic." The Doctor showed her. "Look."

"What else have you got, a laser spanner?" Martha joked.

"Apparently he did. Apparently, it was also stolen."

"It was!" The Doctor protested. "Stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman." He groaned at the computer he was scanning with the sonic screwdriver "Oh, this computer!" He hit it grumbling.

"Knowing the Judoon and how thick they are." the Time Lady looked at Martha. "They are very, very thick. They must have locked it down."

"Judoon platoon upon the moon." The Doctor muttered. "Because we were just travelling past. I swear, we were just wandering. we weren't looking for trouble, honestly, we weren't, but I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's a plasma coil."

"Been building up for two days now, so I checked in and brought the Stone along. "We thought something was going on inside. It turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

"I should have noticed it and put the dots together but I didn't, guess the only one thick here is me" She sighed.

"You're not thick" The Doctor stopped looking at her seriously. _"Rita you are one of the cleverest people I know, and that's saying something"_ He finished telepathically.

 _"Same for you Doctor"_ She smiled then looked at Martha when she questioned them. "But what were they looking for?"

"Something that looks human, but isn't." The Doctor answered.

"Like you two, apparently."

"Like us. But not us."

"Haven't they got a photo?"

"Photos don't help when it could be a shape-changer." Rita groaned. "If only it were that simple."

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?" Martha asked and Rita shook her head at the woman.

"The Judoon are thick. If they declare the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive they'll sentence it to execution and we'll all go down with it."

"All of us?" She squeaked.

"Oh yes. If we can find this thing first. Oh!" He ran a hand through his hair jumping up and hitting the computer. "You see, they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever."

"I thought you said they were thick, not clever," Rita asked the Doctor smugly grinning. He narrowed his eyes at her to stop messing around and help him.

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked them.

"I don't know." The Doctor shrugged. "Say, any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms."

"Doctor, maybe there's a back-up," Rita muttered to him and he nodded agreeing and began to scan the computer again.

"Just keep working. I'll go ask Mister Stoker. He might know." Martha told them and she then left.

"If we don't find this" Rita muttered.

"Have you ever doubted me?" The Doctor looked at Rita stopping what he was doing and then looked at her seriously.

"A couple times but not for a good eight months" she chuckled. "I'm just saying though if I die-"

"Don't say that" he said a little coldly.

"But if I did I would never remember. Doctor most of my memories from the parallel world are gone. Nothing has been triggered today. Not even something small."

"Since when have you needed your foreknowledge?"

"When you practically asked me every minute for anything to help" she chuckled watching the Doctor continue to scan the computer once again.

"Rita, you don't seriously think that I rely on your foreknowledge do you?"

"Of course not" she laughed. "But I have been pretty useless without it."

"Your joking" he started to laugh at her and she just stared at him blankly. "Oh, the brunette's eyes" he gulped. "You are being serious" the Doctor slowly shook his head. "Rita this isn't just me saying as a friend but you are very, very useful stop thinking that you're not because you are useful" he shook his head once again.

"You honestly think that?" Rita asked.

"Rita I know that" he turned and noticed her grinning widely. "What?" He asked and she nodded. "What is it?" He asked again. The Time Lady nodded once more. "Rita just tell me" he groaned and then noticed her eyes flicker to the computer screen. He turned to face the screen and his eyes widened seeing the screen. "Ah ha!" He laughed happily.

"My first priority is to get back on Earth, Doctor" she reminded.

"Good point" he nodded in agreement.

 **Reviews:**

 **Rosealyn: (Chapter 2)** **Aha love the auto correct xd, I was so excited to get the first book finished so I could move onto the second. I currently am actually** **writing the 8th book at the moment (Series 7) so this book series has a hell of a long way to go with me having a lot of editing to do.**

 **bored411: I plan on updating every Friday and possibly Monday as well (I'm not really sure just yet I want to see how the two updates a week goes. Hopefully, everything works out fine. Regarding Ritas memory, I hope I fill the curiosity ;)**

 **Guest: As I said about I'm currently writing the 8th book and I still am writing the Stones past since she is hundreds of years old there is a lot to say about her with a lot of secrets. She is one of the most interesting OCs I have ever created. With her being a different person or the Doctors best friend the only thing I can say to that is secrets ;) You will find out soon.**


	6. Smith, Stone and Jones - Two

They walked out of the room after Rita forced the Doctor to tidy up after the mess he had made with the computer. Martha then bumped into them panting breathing loudly with panic on her face.

"I've restored the back-up." The Doctor told her.

"I found her." She breathed.

"You did what?" He asked. The Doctor then saw the slab behind her and widened his eyes. "Run!" He shouted grabbing Rita's hand as well as Martha and pulling them down the hospital corridor. They then sprinted down a set of stairs and turned left and ran. The Doctor and Rita skidded to a halt seeing the Judoon climbing the stairs they were about to head down. The Doctor pulled on the brunette and diverted onto another floor after seeing another set of stairs.

They continued running down the corridor the Doctor then pushed them down another corridor and then into a room. The Doctor sprinted to the x-ray machine. While Martha ran behind the radiation screen. Rita shut the door and locked it with her sonic.

"When I say now, press the button." The doctor ordered Martha as Rita looked through the window in the door to see where the slab was.

"But I don't know which one!" Martha frantically looked at all the buttons

"Then find out!" He shouted at her while messing with the x-ray machine. "Stone can you see it?" He asked her.

"Not yet" she replied then noticed him running and pulled down the blind. "It's here now!" She said loudly running to stand beside the Doctor.

There was a loud banging on the door, no doubt it was the slab trying to get in.

"I don't know which one!" Martha shouted. Rita ran in and behind the radiation screen just before the slab jabbed its arm into the door causing the last of the hinges to come off and the door to fall to the floor.

"Now!" The Doctor shouted. Rita slammed her hand down on a yellow button and radiation filled the room. The slab fell to the floor after having a massive dose of radiation.

"What did you do?" Martha asked.

"He killed it, increased the radiation by five thousand percent." She then whistled "That's a lot. Have fun expelling that" She teased.

"But isn't that going to kill him?" Martha looked at in concern.

"Nah, it's only roentgen radiation." The Doctor waved it off shrugging. "We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery."

"You mean you did" Rita laughed. "I remember my childhood. Partly" She shrugged. "Remember enough to know that my parents only cared about one thing and that was how clever I was, prophecy or not with the pepper pots. My parents wanted their daughter to be the best and thought me playing around was wasting theirs and my time."

"You remember all of that?" The Doctor looked at her.

"Of course I do, it's slowly coming back unlike the parallel world 'episode' memories but it is coming back to me. Anyways enough about my boring childhood, you were explaining something Doctor."

"Oh yes," he nodded "It's safe for you to come out." He nodded at Martha. "I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it." Rita stepped out and bit her bottom lip forcing herself not to laugh at the Doctor jumping up and down in the spot. "If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot." He gritted his teeth groaning and scrunching his face up in pain. "It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go. Easy does it." he then started to hop on the spot kicking his shoe, Rita could not longer help herself by laughing her head off. "Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out." He then shouted in pain. "Ah, ah, ah, ah! It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Hold on." He then ripped off his shoe opening the bin and throwing it in. "Done."

"Better?" Rita raised a brow.

"Much thank.s"

"You're completely mad." Martha gawked then looked at the Stone, stepping out from behind the glass. "The both of you."

"You're right. I look daft with one shoe." Rita rolled her eyes at him. The Doctor just as she guessed he would pull the other shoe off and threw it in the bin to join the other. "Barefoot on the moon." He wiggled his toes smirking.

"Maybe my parents were right" Rita scoffed. "Maybe if you have an ego bigger than the size of your head you do become a mad idiot" The Doctor glared at her then blinked.

"Did they really say that?"

"Of course they didn't." She snorted. "I made it up, proves that you are an idiot, though." She grinned at him.

Martha then interrupted the conversation by staring at the slab. "So what is that thing? And where's it from, the planet Zovirax?"

"That Martha is just a slab that's what they're called." Rita walked over and knelt beside it. The Doctor knelt beside her and poked the slab to prove it.

"See? Solid leather, all the way through." he then stood up. "Someone has got one hell of a fetish."

"And that is not an image I wanted in my mind, thank you, Doctor." Rita groaned pinching the bridge of her nose, slightly shivering at the horrid thought. She opened her eyes from her disgusted moment and noticed the Doctor staring at his sonic screwdriver which was completely broken and fried in his hand.

"But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan. It was working for her, just like a servant." Martha tried to explain but both Time Lords were ignoring her too busy in their own conversation.

"Being almost 900 years old I am not going to be a child and rub in your face that I used new my sonic and laugh at you with your completely fried one." She snorted a laugh. "Oh, wait I just did." She grinned.

"My sonic screwdriver." he mumbled.

"There there Doctor, I'm sure the TARDIS will give you another one later, for now, you can save us using a kettle and some string" She laughed at the reference she had made remembering the quote from a future event but not being able to remember which one.

"She was one of the patients, but-" Martha began but was interrupted but the Doctor again.

"Oh, no. My sonic screwdriver."

"You are not using mine, I'm not having you break it," Rita told him pointing her finger at him. "But if you really need to, of course, you can." she smiled.

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire..."

"I loved my sonic screwdriver." The Doctor muttered showing it to Rita.

"Yes Doctor I know that you loved your sonic screwdriver." She patted his shoulder in sympathy.

"Stone? Doctor?"

"Sorry." They both muttered turning to Martha, the Doctor throwing the fried sonic over his shoulder. "You called me Doctor." He beamed.

"She called me Stone" Rita then grinned crossing her arms. "I guess we have proved ourselves." Rita then snorted. "Oh god that sounds like some kind of top secret spy thing"

"Anyway..." Martha looked at the Time Lady strangely. "Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mister Stoker's blood."

"Funny time to take a snack." The Doctor frowned

"Hmm it is, you would think that she would be hiding. Wait" Rita held her finger up in the air.

"Unless..." The Doctor thought. "No. Yes, that's it." Rita nodded understanding as well.

"Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer!" Both the Time Lords exclaimed.

"She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it." The Doctor explained.

"Using it to appear human!" Rita said loudly. "But if she can do that..."

"Then the Judoon won't find her!" The Doctor finished.

"The one time I wish they wasn't so thick" She groaned.

"We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!" The Doctor shouted taking Rita's hand and running. Rita then pulled the Doctor back hearing footsteps of a slab.

 _"There's a slab"_ She informed him and he nodded crouching down next to the wall beside her. They watched the slab go past the corridor not noticing them.

"That's the thing about Slabs. They always travel in pairs." The Doctor whispered thinking aloud.

"What about you two?"

"What about us what?" The Doctor looked at Martha.

"Haven't you two got back-up?" She asked. "Or is The Stone your only..." The Doctor frowned glancing at Rita then back at Martha.

"Uh no." Rita shook her head. "Not partners because that word just makes me think of really, really cheesy TV shows."

"Oh. Humans." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're asking personal questions? Come on." He stood up with Rita and they turned the corner.

"I like that," Martha muttered. "Humans. I'm still not convinced you're aliens." Martha turned the corner and followed them. Two of the Juddon turned a corner and faced the Doctor and Rita.

"Non-humans." They stated.

"Brilliant. Just what we needed" Rita groaned.

"Oh my God, you two really are." Martha gasped.

"And again." The Doctor took Martha's hand with the free one not holding on to Rita's They sprinted down the corridor and turn the corner just as the Judoon fired their weapons at them almost turning them into carbon.

They ran up a set of stairs before turning to a room hearing the Judoon behind. Rita sees a door and pulls the Doctor to follow her in. Running in the room she let go of his hand as him and Martha ran in. She then closed the door shut and used her sonic to lock it.

"Who hasn't got a sonic now" she grinned.

"Me" he rolled his eyes at her.

"Not the time." Martha told them, they both muttered 'right' to her and headed down the corridor they had just entered seeing people sliding down the walls gasping for air.

"They've done this floor. Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky." The Doctor and Rita then started to walk off. Rita then stopped pulling the Doctor to a stop as well. She let go of his hand and knelt down beside Martha who was talking to her friend.

"How much oxygen is there?" Martha asked sadly.

"Not enough for all these people. We're going to run out."

"How are you feeling? Are you all right?" The Doctor asked Martha.

"I'm running on adrenaline." Martha smiled at them.

"Welcome to our world." The Doctor glanced at Rita. "How are you?"

"Respiratory bypass system seems to be working," She hummed. "I'm not the one you should be worrying about though. These people are already showing signs of oxygen starvation." She said looking over at Martha's friend and the person she was giving oxygen too. "If they are like this then there will no doubt others this bad, possibly even worse."

"What about the Judoon?"

"Nah, great big lung reserves. It won't slow them down."

"Martha where's Mister Stoker's office?" Rita asked. She gave her friend a pat on her arm then stood up taking the lead. "It's this way."

The Doctor held out his hand signaling that he was to go first. He walked into the office with Rita just behind and Martha after her. Moving out the way Martha past them both and groaned slightly. "She's gone. She was here." The woman then gasped seeing Mister Stokers body lying on the floor extremely white.

"Drained him dry."

"She took every last drop of his blood. He didn't even do anything wrong" Rita sadly sighed.

"We were right. She's a plasmavore." The Doctor looked at Rita.

"What's she doing on Earth?"

"Hiding. On the run. Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro. What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on." He then went to leave but Rita pulled him back, he gave her a questioning look but soon understood when Rita sadly looked at Martha who closed the mans eyes then stoop up walking over to the Time Lords.

After leaving the office the Doctor began to think aloud. "Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?"

"Doctor" Rita pointed at the 'MRI' sign on the opposite side of the wall.

"Ah. She's as clever as you." Rita rolled her eyes at him. "Almost." He added.

"I wish you would stop doing that Doctor."

There was a crash at the other end of the corridor and the Judoon were marching up to them.

"And my day just gets better and better" Rita groaned. The Doctor sighed then turned to Martha

"Martha, stay here. We need time. You've got to hold them up." He told her repeatedly glancing at the Time Lady beside him.

"How do I do that?" She asked.

"Just forgive me for this." He switched his gaze from Martha to Rita and then back as if he was apologising to them both for some reason. "It could save a thousand lives. It means _nothing_. Honestly, _nothing_." He's eyes flickered over to Rita again who had not noticed. The Time Lords eyes were fixed on watching hers as he grabbed Martha's face and kissed her hard yet quickly before letting her go grabbing Rita's hand and running off heading for MRI.

"That was _nothing_?" Martha breathed out stunned smiling to herself.

"Oh, you just can't help yourself can you Doctor" Rita rolled her eyes after hearing Martha's words as she ran off.

"You know what that was for" he almost snapped at her.

"You know I tease" she grinned then laughed at how angry he actually looked at the current moment. "I didn't mean to anger you though." She muttered feeling slightly guilty.

"I'm not angry, honestly," he told her as they got closer to the MRI ward. The Doctor then began to speak to Rita telepathically not wanting the plasmavore to hear him. _"As soon as we get in there look-"_

 _"Doctor I know what to do"_ Rita rolled her eyes at him. _"Act like I am a human about to completely lose it and break down thinking that I am going to die and never see my children again"_

 _"Where did that come from?"_ He asked sounding slightly shocked at how detailed that actually was.

 _"That's not something I want to discuss"_ Rita shut down not answering. The Doctor pushed the thought to the back of his mind. They then entered the MRI room breathing heavily noticing that an MRI machine was definitely _way_ over powered with bolts of electricity coming out of the machine.

The Doctor placed his hand on Rita's waist pulling her closer to him. Her eyes grew wide honestly not expecting him to do that.

"Have you seen them? There are these things." The Doctor said sounding shocked and scared as he pointed to the door with his free hand. "These great big space rhino things. I mean, rhinos from space. And we're on the moon!" He then shouted and plasmavore now turned around knowing that he wasn't going to shut up.

"Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look." He stuck his foot out and wiggled his toes. "I mean, all fixed now. Perfectly good treatment. The nurses were lovely. I said to my wife," he nodded to Rita. "I said I'd recommend this place to anyone, but then we end up on the moon. She's scared to death. Won't leave my side at all" Rita looked at the woman with the best-terrified face she had. Thinking back to those awful memories even she tried to force herself to forget, _almost_ did forget. A tear escaped her eye, she felt like she sort of blanked out but didn't. The Doctor honestly looked at her worried. He tightened his grip on her trying to let her know that he was there and she was safe. "She can't take it anymore," the Doctor told the plasmavore. "All she wants is to go home. It's okay." He gently wipes the tear from her cheek with his free hand not actually acting at all before he glanced back at the woman. "Also did I mention the rhinos?"

"Hold him." The slab grabbed the Doctors shoulders. Widening her eyes the Stone realised where she was and what was going on after zoning out. She suddenly escaped the Doctors grasp and went to run out of the door to try and get Martha and the Judoon. The slab swiftly let go of the Doctor turned, grabbed Rita and pushed her to the ground then turned back to the Doctor firmly holding him again and tightened its grasp on him. The Doctor heard Rita whimper in pain beside him. Her head hit the floor pretty badly and could clearly see that her vision was not good with the way her eyes were jumping around. He clenched his hands into fists trying not to show the pain and anger inside of him.

"Er, that, that big er machine thing." The Doctor nodded over at the MRI scan machine. "Is it supposed to be making that noise?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"But isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing?" He tried to act like he had no idea what it did. "Like a ginormous sort of a magnet?" He looked at the woman who started to mess with the machine. "I did magnetics GCSE." He then added. "Well, I failed, but all the same."

"The magnetic setting now increased to fifty thousand Tesla." She informed him smiling.

"Ooo, that's a bit strong, isn't it?"

"It'll send out a magnetic pulse that'll fry the brain stems of every living thing within two hundred and fifty thousand miles. Except for me, safe in this room." She gestured to where she was standing.

"But er, hold on, hold on, I did geography GCSE. I passed that one. Sadly the wife didn't" he glanced down at Rita and saw her eyes closed and her body gently moving up and down signalling that she was breathing. The Doctor then looked back up. "Doesn't that distance include the Earth?"

"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift." She smiled devilishly.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman. Hence the bunions." He wiggles his toes and looked down.  
"Why would you do that?"

"With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape."

"No," he gasped acting surprised. "That's weird. You're talking like you're some sort of an alien."

"Quite so." She said quietly.

"No!" He gasped again.

"Oh, yes."

"You're joshing me." He looked at her with his eyes widened.

"I am not."

"I'm talking to an alien? In hospital?" He then looked around the room. "What, has the place got an ET department?" He joked.

"It's the perfect hiding place. Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment ready to arm myself with should the police come looking."

"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?" He asked.

"Yes. But I'm hidden." She showed him her wrist grinning smugly.

"Right." The Doctor nodded his eyes widening. "Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans."

The plasmavore then looked up a little shocked. "They're doing what?" She asked a little concerned.

"Big chief rhino boy, he said, no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans up to setting two?" He questioned.

"Then I must assimilate again." She muttered and started rummaging in her bag.

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked.

"I must appear to be human."

"Well, you're welcome to come home with me and the wife. We can have cake." He smiled.

"Why should I have cake?" She then found what she was looking for in her bag and brought out a straw "I've got my little straw."

"Oh, that's nice. Milkshake?" He asked. "I like banana."

"You're quite the funny man. And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace just like your wife who will join you soon." The Doctor widened his eyes and glanced down to see Rita's breathing had definitely gotten shallower. The knock to her head as well as the lack of oxygen did not help the situation. "Steady him!" The plamavore ordered before the Doctor could start to thrash around to try and help the Stone in any way he could.

The slab pushed the Doctor to his kneels and violently moved his head so his neck was clear. "What are you doing?" He asked looking at her with widened eyes as she started to stroke his neck trying to find a vein.

"I'm afraid this is going to hurt. But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember." She then stuck the straw into his neck and vein then began to remove the blood from his body.


	7. Smith, Stone and Jones - Three

Rita's eyes slowly opened as the Doctors body hit the floor. She moved her eyes up to see the Judoon in the doorway. _'Come on Martha'_ she thought trying to breathe as much as she could. Her eyes then drifted down to the Doctors body and she could swear that both of her hearts broke then and there at the sight. The Doctors skin was extremely pale.

"Now see what you've done. This poor man and his wife just died of fright." She quickly shoved the straw into her bag.

A Judoon then scanned the Doctor. The plasmavore didn't realise Rita was still alive. Just clinging on because she had to. For all the lives she lost. For _them_. For _him._

"Confirmation. Deceased."

Rita's eyes began to water and her vision became blurry she reached and grasped his hand squeezing it tightly. _'No stop'_ she thought. Pressing her eyes shut as tight as she could the Time Lady let go of his hand and began to try as hard as she could, the brunette desperately began to pull herself over to the MRI scanner. She _had_ to stop it because she knew the Judoon wouldn't. As soon as they realise it is Finnegan she would be dead and they would leave.

"No, he can't be." Rita heard the voice of Martha Jones behind her gasping and desperately trying to get through. "Let me through. Let me see him."

"Stop." A Judoon ordered her to stand back. "Case closed."

"But it was her." Martha cried out pointing at Mrs Finnegan. "She killed him. She did it. She murdered him."

"Judoon have no authority over human crime." One of them stated.

"But she's not human." Martha cried.

"Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued." Finnegan showed Martha grinning.

"But she's not! She assimi-" Martha's eyes then widened looking down at the Doctor. "Wait a minute. You drank his blood? The Doctor's blood?" Martha grabbed one of the Judoons scanners and pointed it at Finnegan then scanned her.

"Oh, I don't mind. Scan all you like." Mrs Finnegan spread her arms out as if she welcomed it.

"Non-human." A Judoon stated

Mrs Finnegan snapped her head at the Judoon and lowered her arms. "But, what?"

"Confirm analysis."

"Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come." Finnegan smiled trying to get them to trust her.

"He gave his life so they'd find you." Martha cried.

"Confirm. Plasmavore, charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"Well, she deserved it!" Mrs Finnegan snapped hissing at them. "Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."

"Then you confess?" The Judoon asked.

"Confess?" She scoffed at them. "I'm proud of it! Slab, stop them!" She snapped her head in the slabs direction which started to run at the Judoon but didn't get more than a few centimetres before being incinerated into carbon.

"Verdict, guilty. Sentence, execution." A Judoon stated.

Mrs Finnegan ran to the MRI scan stepping over Rita's body as she desperately continued to try and drag herself over to it. Finnegan then plugged in the MRI scanner and the magnetic overload sign appeared. Mrs Finnegan then cackled at the Judoon. "Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!" She screamed. Four of the Judoon then fired and incinerated Mrs Finnegan.

"Case closed."

"But what did she mean, burn with me?" Martha asked. "The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something."

The Judoon then scanned the MRI machine and read the readings

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse."

"Well, do something! Stop it!" Martha screamed.

"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate." They turned to leave.

"What? You can't just leave it. What's it going to do?" Martha pleaded for an answer as they headed towards the exit.

"All units withdraw."

"You can't go! That thing's going to explode and it's your fault!" Martha screamed at the top of her lungs to them. She looked at the Doctor and Rita not knowing what on Earth to do. Her eyes then widened at the sight of Rita slightly moving. She rushed over to the Time Lady and bent down and started to plead for help.

"Stone! The machine! She did something to the machine and I don't know what to do! What do I do!?" She begged for help.

"The Doctor" Rita coughed out. "Please, try Martha" she begged pulling herself closer and closer to the machine.

Martha then jumped up running over to the Doctor and started to do CPR on his left heart.  
One, two, three, four, five." She breathed into his mouth. "One, two, three, four, five." Her eyes then widened and she gasped. "Two hearts!" She switched to his right and started to repeat the process on that one now gasping for air. "One, two, three, four, five." She then breathed into his mouth again. "One, two, three, four, five." She took her last deep breath and gave it to the Doctor before collapsing to the ground coughing. A moment later the Doctor began to cough, his eyes extremely red and his skin still pale. "The Stone" Martha coughed out breathless and raised her arm which was shaking way too much over and pointed at Rita's body next to the MRI machine.

The Doctor noticed that the scanner has become critical, dragging himself over to the brunette. She looked up at him, her eyes showing pain and helplessness. "The scanner" she quietly whispered her voice extremely dry. "My left pocket" she coughed out. "Has my sonic... use it" She said closing her eyes to try and make her respiratory bypass system to work as it hadn't since she had hit her head making her whole body work at a slightly slower pace, not enough for all the oxygen she needed. The Doctor went into her pocket and grabbed the sonic and then pulled himself up to the machine. Coughing again he set the sonic to the correct setting and used it on the machine. He groaned when nothing happened and then noticed the cable Mrs Finnegan had connected. Placing Rita's sonic in his suit pocket he reached for the cables and pulled them switching off the machine. He then slid down the side and sat against the wall coughing a couple of times and then heading back over to Rita. He picked her body up and gave Martha a worried look. He began to carry Rita through the hospital and then felt her body move before she suddenly gasped for air.

"You're alive..." She looked up at him reaching for his cheek with her palm before gripping onto his suit and giving him a tight hug. The Doctor continued to walk allowing the Time Lady to calm down. He stopped by a window seeing the Judoon ships take off.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, please. Come on, Judoon, reverse it." He said through gritted teeth then began to smile. Rita gently let go and moved her head.

"Rita" he laughed. "It's raining on the moon."

"You don't see that every day" she laughed hugging him again her hands around his chest and back, his right hand on her back gently rubbing it while his other arm was under her legs. There was a crash of thunder and a large flash and the hospital was back where it should exactly be.

Once Rita had promised the Doctor multiple times that she could stand again he set her down only to be almost knocked to the ground by her tackling him into a hug yet again. "I thought you died!" She cried out. "Doctor your my best friend and I thought you bloody died" she then hit his arm and he winced in pain.

"But I'm still here aren't I?" He cheekily grinned at her. She gave a watery laugh and shook her head. "If you even try doing something like that again then you will die because I would have killed you myself!" She pointed at him showing that she was deadly serious.

"I'll keep a note on that" he nodded. "Oh also I have something of yours" he reached into his pocket and handed her the sonic.

"Ah, my sonic" She beamed. "I thought you were trying to steal it." she then cheekily grinned at him.

"Wouldn't even try, because you would then kill me" she gave a laugh at his joke.

"We should go now" he suggested looking around at all of the people beginning to come to. "Police and all that will turn up soon we don't want to be around for that" she nodded in agreement and they began to walk down the hospital corridor heading for the entrance.

"What about Martha?" Rita asked.

"What do you think?" He raised a brow.

"I think we owe her one" Rita gave out a chuckle linking her arm with his. "She did save your life and you saved everyone in this hospital and half the Earth"

"I guess we do, didn't she have a party to go to tonight?"

"We could also go and crash the party unless it's already crashing itself, I think I have a parallel world memory" she laughed.

"Let's go and crash a party then" they exited the building and headed towards the TARDIS. They looked back and saw Martha waving at both of them. After waving back they entered the TARDIS.

"Now" the Doctor headed towards the jump seat and stood across from it leaning on the console and crossed her arms.

"Now?" she questioned sitting in the jump seat.

"Is your head okay?" He asked a concerned look now on his face.

"Yeah" she shrugged. "It wasn't that hard of a push to the ground and it doesn't hurt that much anymore."

"Anymore?"

"Doctor" she laughed. "Honestly I'm completely fine, I'm not the one who was getting drained by a plasmavore. It's you that anyone should be worrying about."

He shook his head at her turning around to face the console. Now as dashing as you think I look in this suit." The Doctor joked gesturing to himself causing Rita to roll her eyes. "I'm going to change I like the long coat more and then we will pay a visit to Miss Jones."

"It would be a lie if I said I didn't" she grinned as the Doctor walked off. "I was wondering when you would ask that." She said over to him as he disappeared into the hall of the TARDIS heading to his room to change. She noticed the TARDIS had already another sonic screwdriver for the Doctor waiting. She grinned shaking her head at the new one with a lighter handle colour then the previous. The Doctor soon returned walking over to the console with the other suit on. She rolled her eyes noticing he hadn't done his tie. "Don't tell me you want me to do it" Rita groaned and he chuckled. "Sometimes you can just be so lazy" she rolled her eyes and helped him with his tie then walked over to where she had left his sonic picked it up then tossed it over to him while saying: "catch!" He taught it then laughed tossing it in his hand and watching it twirl in the air before catching it in the same hand again. He then pulled a lever and the TARDIS dematerialised and then materialised again only a few hours after the incident at the hospital as well as moving.

They exited the TARDIS and stood in an alleyway, hearing lot of shouting at the end of the main street.

"Sounds like you were right" the Doctor muttered to Rita and began to walk heading in the direction of the shouting and screaming.

"She didn't mean it, sweetheart. She was just saying you look healthy." A man who the Time Lords guessed to be Martha's father protested shouting at a woman to come back.

"No, I did not. I said orange." A woman snapped at the two.

"She isn't wrong there" Rita muttered looking up at the Doctor as they watched from just around the alleyway standing against the wall. "I see orange as well" she smirked and he just shook his head at her.

"Oh, I can't think why, after you stole my husband." Martha's mother snapped at the younger orange woman.

"I was seduced! I'm entirely innocent. Tell her, babe."

"And then she has a go at Martha, practically accused her of making the whole thing up." Martha's mother looked over at her. Martha sighed not wanting to get into an argument.

"Mum, I don't mind. Just leave it."

"Oh. I've been to the moon!" The orange woman sarcastically said over exaggerating with her arms. "As if. They were drugged. It said so on the news."

"I think we should take Miss orange and throw her out of the TARDIS, see who's been drugged then." The Doctor shot her a look to stop being cheeky, the Stone just grinned at him before turning to watch the argument again.

"Since when did you watch the news?" Martha's mother hissed. "You can't handle Quiz Mania."

Rita bit her lip to hold in a laugh. "I like her mother already, just don't kidnap her this time" she looked over at the Doctor who groaned at what she was referencing it too. "Trust me I won't, and she wasn't kidnapped"

"Sure" she grinned.

"Don't you dare!" They turned back to see Martha's dad shouting at the young orange woman storming off. "I'm putting my foot down!"

"You coming?" The orange woman asked.

"This is me, putting my foot down!" He then began to follow her.

Rita groaned. "This arguing almost as bad as the arguments I used to have with my bloody parents. Someday I will have to tell you the stories of what they started arguments over" Rita laughed at the thought.

"Seems you didn't agree with them" the Doctor pointed out.

"Oh, of course, I didn't" Rita seriously answered. "They were all for the high council and all of that where I just wanted to go, why have TARDISes if you can't go and see the universe, obviously they disagreed and insisted that I worked 24/7 just to try and get me on the high council. God, they thought they were better than everyone else and it honestly killed me that they thought that"

"You'll have to continue the story later, someone jut noticed us" the Doctor nodded over in a direction which Rita's eyes followed to see Martha watching them. They both smiled at her then turned to the alley walking back to the TARDIS

Martha followed in persistence, turning the corner they had a few moments ago and saw the two of them, both standing next to the TARDIS smirking at her. "I went to the moon today."

"A bit more peaceful than down here." The Doctor chuckled.

"I agree with you on that one" Rita chuckled as well.

"You never even told me who you two are." Martha looked between them.

"The Doctor."

"And the Stone"

"What sort of species?" Martha asked laughing a little. "It's not every day I get to ask that."

"We're Time Lords"

"I prefer Time Lady, however"

"Right! Not pompous at all, then." Martha shook her head at them.

"We just thought since you saved my life and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip."

"I thought of the idea, though, he doesn't get all of the credit" Rita grinned.

"What, into space?" Martha looked at them.

"Well."

She then shook her head. "But I can't. I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad."

"If it helps, we can travel in time as well." The Doctor grinned

Her eyes widened and she stared at them both. "Get out of here." She gasped

"We can," Rita told her.

"Come on now, that's going too far."

"He'll prove it." Rita stepped away from the TARDIS and the Doctor stepped inside.

"You'll love this" Rita grinned crossing her arms as the TARDIS started the dematerialise. Martha looked in awe as the TARDIS disappeared. She reached into where it had been and pulled her hand back when the TARDIS then rematerialised.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, tie in hand grinning. "Told you." Rita stepped next to the TARDIS again leaning beside it with her arms crossed rolling her eyes.

"No, but, that was this morning." Martha's eyes widened. "Did you? Oh, my God. You can travel in time. But hold on. If you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go into work?"

"Crossing into established events is forbidden" Rita glared slightly at the Doctor.

"Except for cheap tricks." He smirked at her. Rita then rolled her eyes.

"You had to go taking the tie off" She sighed. "I literally just did that up for you" she groaned stepping in front of him and doing it up yet again.

"And that's your spaceship?"

"His" Rita gestured to the Doctor continuing to do up the tie and speaking over her shoulder turning her head slightly so she could see Martha and what she was doing. "It's called the TARDIS. T-A-R-D-I-S. Oh you have no idea how long I have wanted to say that"

The Doctor chuckled at her shaking his head. "Time and Relative Dimension in Space." He said over Rita's head.

"Your spaceship's made of wood." She blinked. "There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate."

Rita rolled her eyes a little and opened the door after finishing the tie then stepped inside. "Take a look."

The Doctor nodded for her to go in and her eyes widened and she looked in utter shock and awe mixed together. "No, no, no." She ran back out past the Doctor circling the TARDIS. "But it's just a box. But it's huge."

The Doctor and Rita stepped out the way leaning against the railing by the door.

"Wait for it" the Doctor whispered to the brunette.

"How does it do that?" Martha ran back inside. "It's wood. It's like a box with that room just rammed in." She poked her head out looking at the door then ran back in looking at the console. "It's bigger on the inside." She gasped. The Doctor and Rita both mouthed along.

"Is it?" The Doctor sarcastically said looking at Martha who walked around the console still full of awe. "I hadn't noticed. Have you noticed Stone?" He looked at her.

"Never noticed that before." She played alone humming. "Can't believe I missed something like that" she shut the doors and the Doctor took off his coat chucking it over one of the 'Y' beams. "Right then, let's get going." He ran over to the console and started to pull levers and pressed buttons.

"But is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?" Martha asked and Rita's face saddened slowly walking over towards the console herself.

"Just me and the Stone"

"All on your own?"

"Well, sometimes we have guests." He shrugged. "I mean some friends, travelling alongside. We had-" He stopped looking down at the ground. Rita sighed placing her hand in his. He moved his gaze over to her and sadly smiled.

"There was recent, a friend of ours." Rita swallowed thickly in, her voice soft and full of sadness "She's safe now, at home, her name was. Rose. It was me the Doctor and Rose."

"Not that you're replacing her." The Doctor added harsher than Rita would have liked pointing at Martha sternly reminding her.

"Never said I was." Martha protested.

"Just one trip to say thanks. You get one trip, then back home." He told her pointing to the doors of the TARDIS

"It's easier on our own." Rita sighed.

"He's the one that kissed me." She protested.

Rita groaned seeing this was coming. _"Now you've done it, Doctor"_

"That was a genetic transfer." He protested pointing a finger at Martha angrily wincing a little at the Stones words after a moment.

"And if you will wear a tight suit," Martha muttered referring to the suit from before.

"I gave him that blue suit!" Rita shrieked. "And that's just him being skinny."

"Didn't you say he suited it?" Martha raised a brow. Rita's eyes widened and then felt her face change colour going from her pale normal skin tone to a bright red.

"Now, don't!" The Doctor snapped at Martha seeing that Rita did not mean it like that and was looking very uncomfortable.

"And then you travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date to make her jealous."

"Stop it." He snapped at Martha again.

"For the record? I'm not remotely interested. I only go for humans."

 _"Oh, she definitely likes you."_ Rita laughed telepathically in his mind and he grumbled to her.

"Good. Well, then. Close down the gravitic anomaliser," he started pressing buttons.

"Fire up the helmic regulator." Rita joined in.

"And finally, the handbrake."

"Oh, turning it off now are we?" Rita asked cheekily.

"Cheeky" he raised his brows at her.

"Rude and not ginger" she threw back.

"Oh, course" he grinned. "Ready?" He looked over at Martha.

"No," Martha replied sounding a little scared.

"You might want to hold on," Rita warned.

"Off we go." The Doctor pulled the final lever and the TARDIS dematerialised with a sudden jolt. Rita held on to the console for her life laughing with the Doctor as the TARDIS travelled through the Vortex.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy." Martha grabbed onto the console as well standing next to Rita.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Jones." He grinned.

"It's my pleasure, Mister Smith." She laughed.

 **Reviews**

 **Bored411: I don't think the Doctor was too worried about Rita since she is a Time Lady now. I think it is still as clear as day that he worried for her though. She's a strong woman who knows how to put people in her place ;)**


	8. The Shakespeare Code

_"Where are we even going?"_ Rita asked the Doctor as he started to press buttons while holding on to the console as it continued to jolt.

 _"London, 1599"_

 _"What and not get the date wrong?"_

 _"Shut up"_

 _"Never"_ He groaned at her continuing to press buttons on the console.

"But how do you travel in time?" Martha asked. "What makes it go?"

"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything. Martha, you don't want to know."

"Seriously it's honestly quite boring." Rita told her.

"Hold on tight." The Doctor told Martha. The TARDIS jolted to a stop. Martha fell to the floor. So did Rita who would have also collided with the TARDIS grating if the Doctor hadn't grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Thanks" she muttered brushing her clothes. "Maybe I should take control next time?" She hummed and he rolled his eyes at her.

Martha groaned standing up. "Blimey. Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes, and I failed it."

"That makes two of us then" Rita laughed. "Still better than you."

"Now, make the most of it." The Doctor told Martha. "I promised you one trip, and one trip only. Outside this door, brave new world."

"Where are we?" Martha asked stopping by the door and looked back at the Time Lords watching her by the console. "Take a look" the Doctor told her. Martha looked over at Rita who just nodded towards the door. She gulped and then stepped outside to find herself standing in an Elizabethan street. People in old fashioned clothes roamed around the street buzzing and chatting living their lives with old houses and people hanging up clothes on the washing lines.

"Oh, you are kidding me." She gasped looking at them both. "You are so kidding me. Oh, my God, we did it. We travelled in time. Where are we?" She asked then held a hand up shaking her head. "No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?" A mans voice shouting was then heard from the window directly above and the Doctor looked up. "Mind out." He warned them pulling Rita and Martha back as the man emptied the contents of his bucket from the upstairs window.

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Sorry about that." The Doctor muttered.

"I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift A+E." Martha then looked at them a little worried. "But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?" Rita frowned at her odd question and then looked at the Doctor who looked at her as well.

"Of course we can. Why do you ask?" The Doctor questioned asking what Rita was thinking.

"It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race."

"Oh Martha" Rita placed a hand on her shoulder and patted it. "Let's not step on any butterflies then."

"What have butterflies ever done to you?" The Doctor asked slightly frowning.

"What if, I don't know," Martha looked at them. "What if I kill my grandfather?"

"Are you planning to?"

"No." She replied to the Doctor then looked down feeling a little stupid.

"Well, then."

"And this is London?" Martha asked looking around at the surroundings in awe.

"I think so. Stone?" He looked over at Rita who then licked the tip of her index finger and raised it eye level away from her. "1599 for once you got us in the right year, someone is getting better. Took you long enough."

"Whose rude and not ginger now" he raised a brow.

"I'll have you know that I have been ginger before" she waggled a finger in front of his face. "Interesting that was."

"And when was this?" He asked her.

"When I was around 800 years old, such a long time ago"

"800 years old?!" Martha squeaked.

"Ah ha" she rubbed the back of her neck forgetting that detail. "Sorry forgot to mention that"

The Doctor sighed a little faintly remembering that her. With the red hair and temper almost as bad as now. He was surprised she hadn't remembered him, to be honest. But what could he say? She wouldn't remember and he did. The Doctor knew that she would blame herself for forgetting her best friend that she had travelled in the TARDIS with years ago before the war.

Would she blame him for what he did? Of course, she would. In a way, he had the Stone he knew before it all happened. She claimed her name just like she had the first time round, hearing someone call her 'the Stone' and then plucking it right from them claiming it as her own.

He came back to reality as Martha began to speak again. He didn't realise that she was frowning at him noticing that he was oddly staring at the brunette. "Oh, but hold on. Am I all right? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?" Martha asked.

"Why would they do that?" The Doctor replied.

"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed." She gestured to herself.

"Martha I won't let anyone do that" Rita softly smiled. "And We're not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for us." She gestured to herself and the Doctor who then began to talk. "Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time." He then started to walk off with Rita following and then Martha. "Look over there. They've got recycling." He nodded over to a man shovelling horse manure.

"Water cooler moment," Rita said while they walked past as two men whispered words looking into a barrel full of water.

"The world will be consumed by flame!" A man shouted in the streets

"And global warming, you know Doctor did I ever tell you that this is my favourite era, forgetting the plague, black death and all of that" She waved her hand. "It's truly beautiful, the clothes, the people," A group of men then staggered out of a building obviously very drunkenly singing. "Well most of the people, the music if I'm honest it's all beautiful." She said in awe smiling.

"What about entertainment?"

"Now that is by far my favourite, it's surprising that I haven't met Shakespeare yet with how much I enjoy his plays, Macbeth is definitely my favourite." She whispered quietly due to the year they were in and it not actually being written yet.

"Well if I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to" He then took the Time Lady's hand and ran along from the south end of the old London bridge and past St Mary, then Southwark Cathedral and beamed.

"The Globe Theatre" Rita said in awe beaming happily and then hugged the Doctor's side. He let out a chuckle and hugged her back wrapping his arm around her shoulder as if it was a natural thing to do. Martha then joined them bending over slightly and breathing before looking up and noticing the building they were standing in front of.

"Is that The Globe Theatre?" She asked raising a brow and then looked at the Doctor and Rita.

"Brand new. Just opened. Though strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon. Fourteen sides. Containing the man himself." He then looked at Rita watching her smile and stare in awe at the building.

"Whoa, you don't mean. Is Shakespeare in there?" Martha looked at him.

"Oh, yes. Now Lady Stone, will you accompany me to the theatre?" He moved his arm from around her and held it out for her to link her arm with his.

"I think I will Lord Doctor" She laughed at how silly she was acting, linking her arm with his.

"And Miss Jones, will you accompany us to the theatre as well?" He held his other arm out for her.

"Mister Smith, I will." She linked hers with his and they then began to walk.

"When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare. As for you Stone. You can finally say you have met William Shakespeare.

"I can indeed"

"That's amazing!" Martha applauded widely smiling at what they had just witnessed. "Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?"

"London never changes." The Doctor smiled.

"Where's Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare." She asked then began to shout. "Author! Author! Do people shout that? Do they shout Author?"

"Author! Author!" A man then joined in copying Martha and then a load of other people joined in the chant as well.

"Apparently they do now" Rita laughed.

They watched as Shakespeare then appeared on stage looking way too full of himself, sending kisses and waving to the audience.

"He's a bit different from his portraits." Martha noticed watching the man.

"Genius. He's a genius. The genius. The most human human there's ever been." The Doctor explained to her.

"The words he uses may seem dull for many in your time Martha, but now and still for me they are brilliant and beautiful, I honestly have no idea how he does it." Rita breathed. The Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Now we're going to hear him speak. As The Stone said he always chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

Shakespeare then stopped waving and shouted at the audience. "Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" The crowd began to laugh, Martha looked at the Doctor and Rita who's faces look full of shock mostly the brunettes.

"Oh, well, sorry Stone" He gulped.

"Still brilliant" She grinned shaking her head.

"You should never meet your heroes." Martha told them and they nodded in agreement.

"You've got excellent taste, I'll give you that." Shakespeare said to the audience and then pointed at someone "Oh, that's a wig. I know what you're all saying. Loves Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." Shakespear then stumbled back a bit looking confused then continued again. "When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Loves Labour's Won."

The Doctor and Rita looked at each other confused. _"But it's a lost play?"_ She telepathically told him.

 _"I know"_

 _"We have to stay and find out why it's lost"_

 _"We can take Martha home and then find out."_ Rita looked at him practically begging him to let Martha stay a little longer, he groaned slightly seeing the pleaded in her eyes and then remembered seeing the exact same look in multiple eyes. He sighed and shook his head at her. She smirked seeing the defeated look on his face.

"I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of Loves Labour's Won." Martha thought aloud as they slowly walked out of the theatre with all of the others trying to leave.

"The lost play" Rita muttered in thought.

"It doesn't exist, only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. And no one knows why." The Doctor explained to Martha.

"I always wondered where it went," Rita told them. "Made theories up but never came to see if they were true. The mystery was something I enjoyed.

"Have you got a mini-disc or something? We can tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint." Rita and the Doctor's faces darkened at her idea.

"No." They both replied.

She then realised why they looked at her the way they did and muttered. "That would be bad."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?" She quickly changed the subject.

"Well, we were just going to give you a quick little trip in the Tardis, but I suppose we could stay a bit longer." The Doctor muttered to her then winced when he felt a slight jab under his ribs and noticed it was Rita.

"That was my idea" She firmly told him. "I practically begged you, don't go claiming it was you" She pointed at him showing she was being serious.

"Okay, okay" He held up his hands. "She suggested to me"

"Good, now come on I want to find out what happened now I'm here"

After Rita, the Doctor and Martha had asked around they soon found The Elephant tavern where Shakespeare lived they headed inside to find the man himself.

The Doctor being well the Doctor bursted in interpreting Shakespeare's conversation with two actors from the play earlier enjoying a drink with the man. "Hello! Excuse me, not interrupting, am I?" The Doctor asked knowing fully well that he was. "Mister Shakespeare, isn't it?"

He sighed pitching the bridge of his nose and looked down. "Oh, no. No, no, no. Who let you in?" He asked Rita and Martha standing behind. "No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from." Rita raised a brow at how rude he was actually being she understood that it was Shakespeare but honestly he could have been a little nicer. She slowly poked her head to the left out from behind the Doctor and noticed Martha was doing the same on his right. "Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove-" He stopped noticing the two behind the Doctor and glanced his eyes over to the both of them.

"Hey, nonny nonny." He looked at them both grinning. "You two sit right down here next to me." Rita's eyes widened and felt extremely uncomfortable at what she was witnessing. Honestly, she loved his plays and all and thought Shakespeare was brilliant but she did not know him at all and to make it worse old memories began to rise. She stepped a little behind the Doctor again not liking the memories taking over her mind. The last time she ever got close to love it was forced on her, forced by her mother and father and forced to marry, something she did not want to do or agree with at all. The Doctor noticed her sudden change in mood and slightly moved his hand, it lightly brushed against hers. Martha, however, enjoyed the flirting and stepped out from behind the Doctor smiling away.

Shakespeare then ordered for another chair to be brought and for the two men to leave. "Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muse." A woman joked walking out.

"Sweet lady." Shakespeare hummed as Martha sat in a chair. Taking the opportunity of Shakespear being too busy talking to Martha the Doctor turned to Rita and looked at her seeing she had paled a little more than her usual skin tone and began to worry.

 _"Doctor I know what you're thinking right now. I'm fine"_

 _"Rita you're very pale skin and scared look in your eyes says otherwise, what's wrong?"_

She sighed and looked down starting to play with her own hands. _"Your will think I'm an idiot"_

 _"Rita"_

 _"The last time anything like... that happened was before I was forced to be married, I never liked the idea of arranged marriages at all, my parents obviously did and forced me to marry someone I didn't even really know."_

 _"You think that is silly?"_ He asked.

 _"Is it not?"_

 _"Of course it isn't Rita"_ He shook his head then moved his eyes over to Martha and Shakespeare to see they were deep in a conversation. _"You disagreed with them and wasn't comfortable in the situation. He isn't bothering you now and he won't."_ He looked at her seriously showing that he meant every word. She breathed out a sigh and the Doctor moved the chair one of the men had left near the table then sat down. Rita sat in the other next to him noticing how he sat in the one closest to the table and felt the corner of her lip curl in a smile.

"Such unusual clothes. So fitted." Shakespeare said looking over Martha who grinned.

"Er, verily, forsooth, egads." Martha began to mumble.

"No, no, don't do that. Don't." The Doctor shook his head. He then brought his psychic paper out and showed Shakespear.

"I'm Sir Doctor and this is Dame Stone of Tardis and this is our companion, Miss Martha Jones."

"Interesting," Shakespear leant closer. "That bit of paper. It's blank." The Doctor and Rita looked at each other and began to grin.

"Oh, that's very clever. That proves it. Absolute genius." The Doctor continued to grin.

"No, it says so right there." Martha pointed. "Sir Doctor, Lady Stone and Martha Jones. It says so."

"And I say it's blank." Shakespear told her.

"Psychic paper, I'll explain to you later Martha" Rita promised.

"Oh I hate starting from scratch." The Doctor muttered under his breath.

"Says the one who looked like they were enjoying joking around about the TARDIS being bigger on the inside earlier" Rita muttered to him.

"Psychic? Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly?" Shakespear looked at them. "More's the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?" Rita's brows raised at what he had just said. She understood the time but right in front of Martha.

"What did you say?" Martha snapped her head towards Shakespear not believing the words she just heard.

Shakespeare's eyes widened and started to mutter. "Oops." He then asked: "Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this." Martha groaned and the Doctor clearly didn't look very happy having to explain it as he blew his cheeks out. "It's political correctness gone mad. Er, Martha's from a far-off land." He thought of what to say. "Freedonia."

 _"Freedonia? really?"_

 _"I didn't see you helping"_

 _"Shut up"_

They all turned to the door as a man wearing a golden chain dressed in rich clothes entered obviously with a temper as he looked very angry.

"Excuse me! Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round." Shakespear promised.

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!" He snapped demanding it right at that moment.

"I can't." Shakespear told him.

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled." He stated.

"It's all go around here, isn't it?"

"When isn't it Martha?" Rita asked quietly.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order." The man stated. "If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labours Won will never be played." He then headed down the stairs and left.

"Well then, mystery solved. That's Love's Labours Won over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know, more mysterious." Martha grinned and Rita groaned a little.

"Now I don't do rules and all that but never say anything like 'nothing can go wrong' because it always means something will go wrong." She finished shaking her head. Suddenly there was a scream and the four snapped their heads to the door. "Oh great" She groaned as the Doctor jumped up and ran out the door, she then followed as well as Martha and Shakespear.

There were more screams as they ran down the stairs and saw the man from moments ago cluching his throat in the middle of the area chocking and spewing up large amounts of water.

"It's that Lynley bloke." Martha identifyed him as.

"What's wrong with him?" The Doctor asked. He then ran over to help the man as best as he could. "Leave it to me. I'm a doctor."

"So am I, near enough." Martha ran over to help.

"I also know a thing or to, I'm no Doctor though" Rita ran over. They held him y his arms as he continued to cough up water as if he was drowning. He let out another load of water before his back straightend suddenly and then his body became limp. The Doctor, Rita and Martha lowered him to the floor.

"Got to get the heart going." Martha mumbled as the Doctor and Rita ran a little down the street trying to see if anything was down there. "Mister Lynley, come on. Can you hear me? You're going to be all right." Martha started to clear the mans airways for CPR. The Doctor and Rita head over to him and see the water appear out of the mans mouth.

She then moved back in suprise. "What the hell is that?"

"I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water. He drowned and then, I don't know, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." The Doctor tried to describe it and looked at Rita for her thoughts.

"Drowning on land" She muttered. "But how?"

Seeing that the people around would begin to ask questions the Doctor turned to the woman who was with Shakespear earlier. "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir." She nodded then headed off. A woman ran downstairs from the Tavern and then offered to do it herself, she turned without saying another word and headed off.

"And why are you telling them that?" Martha asked quietly.

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"Okay, what was it then?"

"Witchcraft." Rita gave Martha a serious expression.

"I got you a room, Sir Doctor. You, Lady Stone and Miss Jones are just across the landing another bed has been placed in the room." A woman informed them then left just after the four walked back into Shakespears room.

"Poor Lynley." Shakespear sighed. "So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?" He frowned at Martha in confusion not understanding.

"Where a woman can do what she likes." Martha smiled.

"And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?"

"I do a lot of reading." He replied automatically.

"A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do." He nodded then looked to Rita. "And you, Damn Stone, your eyes show pain yet you seem to not even notice it is there"

"I have seen pain you will never understand" Rita pursed her lips. "It's one of the curses I have" The Doctor looked at her frowning a little. _'She never mentioned this before?'_

"And you? You look at them like you're surprised they exist. They're as much of a puzzle to you as they are to me."

"I think we should say goodnight." Martha nodded to Shakespear and left.

"I best go with her, goodnight" Rita followed behind her not looking back, the Doctor watched her leave and sighed.

"Ah 1599 interior, one of the things I don't miss as much" Rita chuckled walking into the room. Martha picked up a candle.

"It's not exactly five star, is it?"

"Oh, it'll do. We've seen worse." The Doctor walked in and looked at Rita.

"We have indeed" she nodded in agreement looking around at the very basic room. Double bed in the middle with a singilar pushed up against the wall. The room was lit by many candles scattered around it and a thin wodden door seperated the room they were currently in with the bathroom..

"I haven't even got a toothbrush."

"Oh. Er." The Doctor patted himself and then reached into his pocket and brought one out handing it to Martha.

"Contains Venusian spearmint."

"Good for the teeth, makes them nice and bright" Rita grinned.

"So, who's going where?" Martha asked. "Someone's going to have to share"

"Oh me and the Stone can share, we've had worse" Martha looked between the two now wondering where their friendship stood as she walked over to the single bed.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" The Doctor bluntly asked, Rita snapped her head in his direction not realising she was day dreaming about something. But what?

"Are you ever going to not be rude?"She retorted walking over to the bed and laying down beside him.

"Nope" he sent her a cheeky grin.

"You can exept more slaps on the back of your head then" She threw back and he rolled his eyes not looking at her.

"So," Martha cut in before the Doctor could throw another comment at the Time Lady. "Magic and stuff. That's a surprise. It's all a little bit Harry Potter." She joked.

"Wait till you read book seven." The Doctor smiled a little. "Oh, I cried."

"Of course you did. Then again who didn't?" Rita asked and he nodded.

"But is it real, though? I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?" Martha asked them not sure what to believe anymore since she had met aliens and now knew traveling through time was possible.

"Course it isn't!" The Doctor replied to her question a little too harshly. Rita hit his arm glared at him when he looked at her.

"I did tell you" She pointed at him then sent Martha an apolojectic look.

"I know" He held up his hands in defence. "I know"

"Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break." Martha muttered pressing on with the subject.

The Doctor looked over at Rita who narrowed her eyes at him as a warning to remind him to not be rude. Martha was new to all of this and it honestly wasn't her fault. "Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't. Can't be." He said softer than before. Looking over at Rita again she nodded in approval and smiled then rolled over on her side facing him. "What do you think it is?" He layed down as well. "Because I don't have a clue.

"He died in a drowning state on dry land." She said. "But I remember something about psychic energy, read it somewhere" She started to mutter and the Doctor nodded understanding what she meant.

"You're right there, but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No, there's something we're missing. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it."

She sighed. "I can feel it too, it's right there but I can't see it either. You know, Rose, would probably know what it was. She always did, then again so did I" She sighed. "I said I was still me but I feel like it was a lie. I feel the same but I can't really remember anything only small insignificant details, and the foreknowledge, is gone" She whispered so Martha wouldn't hear. "I now remember things from before I became human, things I wish I never remembered."

"Your still you to me, I'm sure Rose would definitely agree, Martha's a novice, We'll take her back home tomorrow and sort this out." The Doctor promised.

"Great." Martha harshly spat at him then blew out the candle and slumped onto her bed. Rita sighed shaking her head. Sometimes the Doctor didn't know when to shut up. She laid there for a few minutes thinking, the past was now on her mind constantly, her parents and what they would think of her now, breaking every single one of their rules. she sighed and heard the faint muffled voice of the Dotor next to her. She raised a brow and turned to see him staring at her. She jolted back a little not expecting it then calmed down.

"What are you doing?" he whispered to her.

"I was thinking" She whispered back. "That was until you almost scared me enough to make me regenerate"

He chuckled at her then asked: "May I ask what you were thinking about?"

"My family" His face grew soft at her words and she sighed. "I remember them, my parents, I wish I don't but I don't, you probably guessed since I mentioned them at the alleyway. Honestly it hurts, I feel like I am missing something though, missing remembering someone, someone important, someone I should know" She sighed shaking her head a little. "It's like I already know them but I don't in a way because I don't remember, okay now I'm being stupid and rambling, sorry"

"Why are you saying sorry?" He asked looking in her direction concerned.

"Because I'm boring you and rambling."

"Rita" He whispered. "I ramble and you're not boring, when you explain something it's fasinating to see someone else understands what I understand, someone as clever as me able to keep up." She looked at him for a moment a little shocked by what he said. She was so glad that the room was almost pitch black otherwise he would clearly be able to see her face which felt as hot as the Earths sun. "Now try and get some rest, I know you're tired"

"And how would you know that?" She cheekily asked.

"I don't" He smirked and rolled over no longer facing her so she would try to sleep even though they couldn't see each other to begin with.


	9. The Shakespeare Code - Two

**I had this all ready to go so I thought why not upload a day early?**

 **Before this chapter starts I have a quick question for any beta readers out there. In the reviews last week AmericanNidiot made a brilliant suggestion for me to get a beta reader. I would honestly love to get one to help me out with this story since I cannot grammar to save my life and some spelling mistakes slip through so obviously I am currently looking for one. This is a very long series with six other books currently in the works after this one (the second) so I'm looking for a beta reader who is willing to work with me for quite a long time. Obviously, I have never had a beta reader before so please tell me if I am asking way too much from you or too little, I don't want to make this feel like a chore than something you enjoy. If you think that you would like to beta read the Parallel Series send me a private message :)**

* * *

There was a horrid cry of a scream. The Doctor and Rita jolted up in bed, jumped up then sprinted out of the room as Martha sat up groggily getting up only a moment after them. They ran across to where the noise came from. Shakespeare room.

"What? What was that?" Shakespear looked at them oblivious to what happened. The Doctor and Rita ran over to the woman known as Dolly and felt her neck for any possible heart beat as Martha moved to the window. her eyes widened as what looked like a classic white flew away on a broomstick, silhouetted against the moon.

"Her heart gave out." The Doctor informed them.

"She died of fright," Rita added.

"Stone? Doctor?" Martha agitatedly looked at them.

They both sprang to their feet moving over to the window and looking out of it staring into the London night, the only light glowing the outside area coming from the glistening moon. "What did you see? "

Martha gulped looking at them both in worry. "A witch."

After sunrise, the Doctor Rita and Martha were back in the Shakespeare room sitting at the table trying to think about what it could be that possibly killed the woman and the man last night. "Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place when we all ran like rats." Shakespear said to the three at the table while staring out o the window/ "But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit." He turned and sat down opposite them.

The Doctor muttered quietly, quoting Dylan Thomas. "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Rita thought about glaring at the Doctor, but he was a Time Lord to be fair, he knew the repercussions of his actions, if he did say that then he surely would know that Shakespear would not use it.

"I might use that," Shakespear said.

The Time Lords shook their heads and the Doctor warned: "You can't. It's someone else's."

"But the thing is, Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright, and they were both connected to you." Martha nodded at Shakespear.

He frowned and said in an offended voice: "You're accusing me?"

Martha shook her head not meaning what she said in that way. "No, but I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches." Rita groaned.

"I have? When was that?" Shakespear looked at Martha strangely.

The Doctor looked over to her and quietly whispered to her. "Not, not quite yet."

"Peter Streete spoke of witches." Shakespeare thought mumbling out loud.

Martha frowned not understanding who he was talking about. "Who's Peter Streete?"

"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect." The Doctor thought then looked at Rita who was also thinking. "Hold on. The architect!" He shouted and slammed his hands on the table, Rita slightly jumped losing any thought she had at that moment. "The architect! The Globe! Come on!" He ran out and Rita sprinted after him with Martha and Shakespear following her. "

When entering the theatre the Doctor started pacing around thinking, Rita and Martha along with Shakespear headed onto the stage. Rita then sat down on the edge letting her feet dangle as she thought. "The columns there, right? Fourteen sides." The Doctor asked continuing to pace around. "I've always wondered, but I never asked. Tell me, Will. Why fourteen sides?"

"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well."

"Fourteen. Why does that ring a bell? Fourteen, Rita is it the same with you?" He looked at her.

"Hmm it is" She hummed. "Fourteen but what does it mean?"

"There's fourteen lines in a sonnet." Martha pointed out and Rita turned to look at her grinning.

"So there is. Good point. Words and shapes following the same design. Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets. Oh, my head." He ran his a hand through his hair and lightly hit his own head with the palms of his hands. "Tetradecagon. Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"Fourteen lines and fourteen sides" Rita repeated what the Doctor had said. "But what is it for?"

"This is just a theatre." Rita and the Doctor both stopped, he stopped moving and she stopped swinging her legs. The Doctor walked over standing beside where Rita was sitting he face deadly serious just like hers.

"But a theatre is magic isn't it?" Rita asked Shakespeare. "Out of anyone you should know." She then jumped up and widened her arms. "Stand on this very stage, Say the right words at the right time. You can make men weep, or cry with joy, you can make them fall in love or make their hearts break. You can change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place. Imagine using the right emphasis as well." She said in awe lowering her arms. "Did I ever mention that I love your plays" She pointed at Shakespeare. "And that is exactly why!" She waved her hand across her chest and clicked her fingers grinning.

"It's like your police box." Martha called to the Doctor. "Small wooden box with all that POWER inside."

"Oh Martha you are brilliant" Rita smiled then jumped off the stage landing completely fine.

"Oh!" The Doctor looked at her. "Oh, Martha Jones, I like you." Rita nodded in agreement. "Tell you what, though." He looked at Shakespeare. "Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"

Shakespeare's face saddened a little. "You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place, lost his mind."

"Why? What happened?" Martha asked.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

"Witches? If that's the case with what Martha told us earlier we have to talk to him" Rita told Shakespeare walking over to the Doctor.

"And where is he now?" The Doctor added.

"Bedlam." Rita shivered at Shakespeare words knowing exactly what it was. She faintly remembered learning about it in her college history class while a human. Shaking the memory out of her mind she continued to listen to the conversation.

"What's Bedlam?" Martha asked.

"Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse." Shakespeare told her.

The Doctor placed his hands in his pockets and started to walk off. Rita ran over to him and walked with him. "We're going to go there. Right now. Come on." He ordered Martha to follow.

"Wait!" Shakespeare shouted running off of the stage following Martha follow them. "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand."

The Doctor and Rita passed two young men entering the global. She noticed that Shakespeare had stopped yet she continued to walk.

"So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors." Shakespeare asked after catching up with the three in the street.

"This country's ruled by a woman. Martha protested.

"Ah, she's royal. That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty." He attempted to flirt with her. Martha eyes widened and she stopped turning to him and firmly speaking. "Whoa, Nelly. I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."

"But Martha, this is Town." He protested. Rita and the Doctor heard their conversation and groaned turning back.

"Come on. We can all have a good flirt later." The Doctor told Martha and Shakespeare.

"You lot can. I'm staying out of that" Rita pointed at them and then turned to walk off.

"She is feisty" Shakespeare grinned.

The Doctors eyes grew cold and burned into Shakespeares. "She loves your plays and made it clear she was not interested yesterday. The Stone does not want comments like that trust me you're lucky she didn't hear you." He continued to narrow his eyes at the man. "She personally told me herself that she is not interested. Now move!" he warned Shakespeare before swiftly turning and catching up with the blonde.

Upon arriving at Bedlam the four could hear the screams and crys of people inside. The stench of human waste filled the air and escaped into the open as they walked inside. People inside of cells begged to be let out, screaming, crying and shouting as well as hitting the bars of the cells.

"And I used to wonder why you hated hospitals" Rita muttered walking beside the Doctor cautiously not going near any of the cells.

"Does my Lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits?" The keeper walking ahead asked. "I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for you. Mad dog in Bedlam."

"No, he does not!" Rita snapped in a growl then coughed in apology knowing that they didn't exactly have the evidence of knowledge for modern day medicine.

"Lord Doctor?" The keeper pressed on ignoring Rita.

"Lasy Stone was right" the Doctor then snapped. "Don't ignore her"

"Well, wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies." The keeper then walked on down the corridor leaving the four alone with all of the people in their cells creating a mixture of sounds.

"So this is what you call a hospital, yeah? Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?" Martha snapped at Shakespeare.

"Oh, it's all so different in Freedonia." He hummed annoyed.

"But you're clever. Do you honestly think this place is any good?" Martha asked him.

"I've been mad. I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

"Mad in what way?" Martha asked obviously not a big fan of Shakespeare's plays.

"You lost your son." Rita swallowed.

"My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."

"Sounds like something that happened to me, except the black dead part, and it being my parents" Martha looked between Shakespeare and Rita regretting her words. The Doctor inched over to Rita a little and took her hand in comfort rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry." Martha said sincerely to both of them.

"It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be." He quoted his own play and Rita smiled a little recognising it from Hamlet. "Oh, that's quite good." He thought aloud.

"Perhaps and you write that down," Rita suggested.

"Maybe not. A bit pretentious?"

"Possibly" Rita shrugged. They then turned their heads in the direction of the Keepers voice beckoning them over. Still keeping hold on Rita's hand the Doctor headed first with the brunette beside him, Martha next and Shakespeare last.

The guard unlocked the cell and they all stepped inside.

"They can be dangerous, my lord. Don't know their own strength. The guard warned.

The Doctor snapped shouting at him. "I think it helps if you don't whip them. Now get out!" The guard did as he was told exiting the cell and shutting the door.

The Doctor let go of Rita's hand, slowly walked over and crouched down beside the man shaking and looking at the floor curled in a ball. "Peter? Peter Streete?" He softly said. Rita walked over and knelt beside the Doctor watching.

"He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him." Shakespeare told them standing back with Martha.

"You don't ever know until you try," Rita told him over her shoulder.

"Peter?" The Doctor gently touched the mans shoulder and his head snapped up, his eyes wide and staring into the Doctors with fear plastered over his face. The Doctor placed his fingers on Peter's temples using a mind meld. "Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past. One year ago. Let your mind go back. Back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A Winter's Tale. Let go." Peter begam to relax his eyes still fixed yet his body wasn't shaking as much. "That's it. That's it, just let go." He gently let Peter lie down on his cot his body still slightly shaking. He then stood up with Rita. "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

Peter then started to explain in 3rd person as if what he said was true. "Witches spoke to Peter. In the night, they whispered. They whispered." He started to wave his hand next to his ear as if he could hear it. "Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. Their design! The fourteen walls. Always fourteen. When the work was done they snapped poor Peter's wits."

"Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city? Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?" The Doctor demanded.

"All Hallows Street."

"Too many words." A woman who looked very much like a witch appeared. The Doctor jumped back putting the Time Lady with him.

"What the hell?" Martha gasped.

"Just one touch of the heart." The woman cackled pointing her finger and motioning down towards Peter. "No!" The Doctor and Rita shouted. The woman obviously a witch then touched Peters chest who then died instantly.

Shakespeare's eyes widened and he cried out. "Witch! I'm seeing a witch!"

The woman moved her finger towards them, the Doctor and Rita lent back away. "Now, who would be next, hmm?" She hissed. "Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals." Martha ran to the cell bars and frantically started shaking them, screaming: "Let us out! Let us out!"

"Martha that won't work. Almost the whole building's shouting that" Rita said over her shoulder closely watching the witch.

"Who will die first, hmm?" The witch looked between the four of them.

"If you insist on asking" Rita stepped forward but was pulled back by her arm the Doctor holding a firm grasp on her.

"No! Don't!" Martha shouted.

"No way" he wrapped an arm round her waist keeping Rita firmly in place and slightly behind her. She looked at him raising a brow and he quickly moved his arm away.

"Stone, Doctor. can you stop her?" Shakespeare asked.

"No mortal has power over me." The which cackled to them.

"Oh, but there's a power in words." The Doctor stated.

"And if we can find just the right one, if we can just know you" Rita added

"None on Earth has knowledge of us."

"Then it's a good thing we're here." The Doctor said glancing over to Rita. "Now think, think, think. Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy."

Rita's eyes widened realising what it was and shouted: "The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration!"

The Doctor looked at her realising what she was talking about and the witch looked a little worried at them both. He pointed at it and shouted loudly: "Creature, I name you Carrionite!"

The witch screamed painfully and then vanished in a white light.

"What did you do?" Martha asked the Doctor.

"I named her. The power of a name. That's old magic."

"But there's no such thing as magic." Martha looked at them confused.

"It's sort of magic" Rita explained. "Different sort of science. You lot, chose mathematics"

"Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead." The Doctor finished.

"Use them for what?"

Rita sighed. "The end of the world."

They headed back to Shakespeares room, the Doctor and Rita paced around in thought. "The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

"I always thought they were legend, that was until you mentioned fourteen" Rita nodded to him.

"Well, I'm going for real," Shakespeare added.

Martha looked at them. "But what do they want?"

"A world of bones, blood and witchcraft. The Carrionites want a new empire on Earth." Rita explained.

"But how?"

The Doctor moved his gaze over to Shakespeare. "I'm looking at the man with the words."

"Me? But I've done nothing." Shakespeare protested.

"Hold on, though. What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?" Martha asked him.

"Finishing the play."

"Shakespeare, what exactly happens on the last page?" Rita asked.

"The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual." He then frowned. "Except those last few lines. Funny thing is, I don't actually remember writing them."

"That's it!" The Doctor pointed in understanding. "They used you. They gave you the final words like a spell, like a code. Love's Labours Won. It's a weapon."

"The right combination of words, spoken at the right place, with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter!" Rita shouted. "You see! The power of words!"

"The play's the thing!" The Doctor quoted from Hamlet. "And yes, you can have that."

"But All Hallows Street, that's what he said" Rita looked at Shakespeare. "Do you have a map?" He nodded and walked over to a draw rummaging around in it before bringing out a man and placing it on the table. "There" she pointed at it

"All Hallows Street. Stone, Martha, we'll track them down." He looked at them and they nodded. "Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play."

"I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next, to you, I know nothing."

"Oh, the Stone is definitely smarter than I am."

"I wish" she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't complain," Martha said to the three of them.

"I'm not. It's marvellous. Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck, Shakespeare. Once more unto the breach." He quoted from Henry V then ran out.

"I like that." He nodded in thought then looked up. "Wait a minute, that's one of mine!"

The Doctor poked his head around the door. "Oh, just shift!" He ordered before the grumble of Rita was heard and he jolted away at the force of her pulling on his arm.


	10. The Shakespeare Code - Three

**Sorry there was no update last week. I had assignments coming to me left, right and center. Work was also a pain as well and I just had no time spare for writing or uploading because of this there will be three chapters this week instead of two.**

* * *

"All Hallows Street," The Doctor looked around at the buildings which looked somewhat like the others.

"What question is, which house?" Rita sighed looking at every detail of the buildings, anything to tell her what house was the woman.

"The thing is, though am I missing something here?" Martha asked. "The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me. I'm living proof." She gestured to herself.

"Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?" The Doctor looked at her.

"Back to the Future." Rita grinned in thought. "It's exactly like back to the future, except with witches, sort of."

"The film?"

"No, the novelisation." The Doctor sarcastically replied to Martha earning a whack on the back of the head from Rita.

"Yes, Martha, the film," she replied narrowing her eyes at the Doctor who grumbled at her rubbing the back of his head. "Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he starts fading away." Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God, am I going to fade?"

"You and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?" The Doctor continued to look around. A door then creaked open and they all stared at it.

"Well then"

"Ah. Make that witch house." The Doctor grinned smugly at Rita who shook her head.

"Bit creepy" She muttered glancing at the dark, dim room inside.

"Well, it is a witches house." The Doctor replied quietly then walked in front and moved a cloth in the way of where I door should have been.

"I take it we're expected." He said to the woman who Rita had seen before standing inside

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time." She said quietly.

"Right then, it's my turn." Martha stepped forward and Rita frowned a little confused by what she was doing. "I know how to do this. I name thee Carrionite!" She pointed at it, the witch faked a gasp and Rita shook her head. "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?"

"Oh, Martha" She shook her head.

"The power of a name works only once. Observe." The witch pointed at Martha. "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones." Rita ran to Martha's side as she fell backwards, she and the Doctor caught Martha's body before she fell to the floor.

"What have you done?!" The Doctor shouted gritting his teeth in anger.

"Only sleeping, alas. It's curious. The name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time." The witch muttered to herself. "And as for you, Sir Doctor, Lady Stone." She pointed at the Doctor then Rita. "Fascinating. There are no names. "Why would a man hide his title in such despair? And a Lady do exactly the same?" She looked at them both for a moment then started smiling. "Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."

"The naming won't work on us." The Doctor stated.

"But your heart grows cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant Rose." Rita stood up gritting her teeth wanting to lunge at the witch.

"Oh, you just made a very, VERY big mistake there!" She loudly told the witch stepping forward. "Want to know why?" She asked and the Doctor then stepped forward standing beside the Time Lady.

"Because that name keeps us fighting." He stepped closer to the Carrionite looking down at her angrily. "The Carrionites vanished. Where did you go?"

She moved away walking up a few steps. "The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

"And how did you escape?" Rita asked.

"New words. New and glittering, from a mind like no other." She replied smiling.

"Shakespeare. " The Doctor answered.

The Carrionite looked at cauldron holding a liquid and an image of Shakespeare appeared looking broken and hurt. "His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?"

"Just the three. But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world, we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic." She explained.

"Hmm. Busy schedule." He walked forward scratching his ear. "But first you've got to get past me." He stood face to face with the Carrionite.

"Oh, that should be a pleasure," She said in almost a whisper and started to stroke the side of his face. "Considering my enemy has such a handsome shape."

"Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not going to work on me." The Doctor replied flatly.

"Oh, we'll see." She reached up for his hair and Rita could see what was going on. She opened her mouth to warn him but was then too late and the Carrionite pulled some of the Doctor's hair out. He moved away and reached up to his hair where he felt the tug.

"What did you do?"

She smirked and backed away towards the window showing the hair between her fingers. "Souvenir."

"Well, give it back." The Doctor lunged forwards and the Carrionite forced the windows open and flew out.

"Okay someone's cheating" Rita groaned moving forward and standing beside the Doctor.

"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets. " She then wrapped the hair around a wooden doll's neck, Rita saw in the corner of her eye that Martha was waking up and was thankful that knowing what the Carrionite was most likely about to do.

"Now, you might call that magic. I'd call that a DNA replication module." The Doctor pointed at her.

"What use is your science now?" She laughed then stabbed the Doll and flew away, the Doctor screamed out in pain. Rita grabbed him trying to stop him from falling to the floor but was pulled down as well and groaned as she hit the wooden floor.

Martha then jumped up and ran to Rita's side. "Oh my God, Doctor. Don't worry, we've got you" She looked at Rita who looked way too calm then frowned before widening her eyes. "Hold on, mister. Two hearts?"

"You're making a habit of this." He went to stand up only to grip on to Rita and Martha's arms while crying out in pain. "I've only got one heart working." He cried out. "How do you people cope?" He looked at Martha. "I've got to get the other one started."

"Martha hit his chest, I'll keep hold of him." The Stone reassured the Doctor moved his arm quickly from gripping hold on Martha's arm to Rita's other.

"Hit me! Hit me on the chest!" The Doctor shouted in pain. Martha did so and he cried out again as Rita winced knowing Martha just hit the wrong side. "Other side." He winced and she gave an apologetic look before hitting now the correct side. "Now hit his back, sorry Doctor" Rita apologised as he hunched over a little and Martha brought her hands together hitting the middle of his back.

"Left a bit." He groaned and Martha did it again. He straightened his back causing it to crack. "Dah, lovely. There we go." He grinned at them both letting go of the brunette. "Badda boom-ba! Well, what are you standing there for?" He looked at them. "Come one! The Globe!" He grabbed Rita's hand and ran off with Martha behind heading to The Globe.

They ran out heading down the street and Martha shouted to them both from behind: "We're going the wrong way!"

"No, we're not!" They both shouted back to her. Rita then winced knowing that they were and skidded to a stop causing the Doctor to as well and shouted: "We're going the wrong way!" Before spinning around and going in the correct direction past Martha who then turned as well.

They continued to run and then stopped at the street with the globe at the other end a large red glow and clouds above it spinning like a tornado. "Well that can't be good" Rita muttered staring up at it.

"I told thee so! I told thee!" A preacher shouted to them.

"Stage door!" The Doctor shouted running off and pulling Rita with him.

"Stop the play. I think that was it. Yeah, I said, stop the play!" The Doctor shouted as they ran in backstage finding Shakespeare oblivious holding his head in pain.

"I hit my head." He moaned.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald." There was a scream and the Doctor took hold of Rita's hand again. "I think that's our cue!" They ran out the doors standing on the main stage

"The Doctor." The Carrionite gasped "He lives." She then shouted to him. "Then watch this world become a blasted heath!" She quoted from Macbeth. "They come. They come!"

The Carrionite in the centre who looked very much human held a crystal ball into the red light, creatures looking like bats then flew into the theatre in the circle and flew up into the sky.

"Come on, Will! History needs you!" The Doctor shouted at him through the harsh wind.

"But what can I do?" He asked.

"You reverse it!" Rita shouted standing beside the Doctor.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it."

"But what words? I have none ready!" He told them holding his hand out in front of his face trying to stop the wind hitting him.

"You're William Shakespeare!" The Doctor and Rita both told him. "Shakespeare all those amazing plays, all those words you make the lines up, you can do it!" Rita told him.

"But these Carrionite phrases, the need such precision."

"Trust yourself. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they, like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm. Words that last forever. That's what you do, Will. You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise." The Doctor lightly hit his back and stood back with Rita allowing Shakespeare to say the right words.

"Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot. You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!" He shouted into the air standing centre stage. "Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points..." he looked over at the Doctor and Rita.

"Seven six one three nine oh!" They both said together.

Shakespeare nodded and repeated their words. "Seven six one three nine oh! Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee-" He stopped and looked at the Doctor and Rita did the same. Martha then shouted waving her hand in the air. "Expelliarmus!"

"Expelliarmus!" The Doctor cheered and Rita laughed.

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare repeated and the Carrionites began to scream.

"Good old JK!"

"And you cannot have that!" Rita shouted pointing at Shakespeare. As the Carrionites were sucked into a tornado. The doors behind the four burst open and pages upon pages of Love's Labour Won flew out and into the tornado.

"Love's Labours Won. There it goes." The Doctor told them watching the pages fly into the sky which then gave off a loud crash, bang and flash of light. A few moments after the audience began to clap.

"The crystal" Rita looked at the Doctor who nodded, they both ran backstage and headed up to the empty box. Kneeling beside it. They saw the three Carrionites were scratching to get to them. "Souvenir for the TARDIS?" Rita asked not looking away from the crystal.

"I think so" He hummed. "Was your theories anything like that?"

"Not at all" She laughed. "Had fewer references to other plays and books. I will never look at Macbeth the same again" She joked.

"Good props store back there." The Doctor and Rita emerged from backstage nodding as the Doctor held an animal skull in his right and wore a ruff neck. "I'm not sure about this though. Reminds me of a Sycorax."

"Really wish I had witnessed that sword fight" Rita sighed.

"Sycorax. Nice word. I'll have that off you as well." Shakespeare moved away from Martha.

"I should be on ten percent. How's your head?" The Doctor asked.

"Still aching."

"Since it doesn't suit the Doctor at all take this" Rita then moved and took the Ruff neck off of the Doctor and handed it to Martha to put on Shakespeare.

"Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might want to keep it. Unlike me, it suits you" The Doctor told Shakespeare nodding a little.

"What about the play?" Martha asked.

"Gone. We looked all over. Every single copy of Love's Labours Won went up in the sky." The Doctor and Rita sighed a little.

"My lost masterpiece."

"At least you will always know what happened, I know some people won't. Not everyone believes in magic" Rita looked over to Martha who shook her head at the brunette.

"You could write it up again." She suggested.

"Yeah, better not, Will. There's still power in those words." The Doctor warned.

"Maybe it should best stay forgotten," Rita added.

"Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet." Shakespeare told them.

Martha blinked at the name. "Hamnet?"

"That's him."

She then repeated again. "Hamnet?"

"What's wrong with that?" Shakespeare asked frowning at her.

"Anyway" The Doctor interrupted before Martha could answer. "Time we were off. I got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity" He picked up the crystal ball and showed them the Carrionites scratching. "And We've got to take Martha back to Freedonia."

"You mean travel on through time and space." The Doctor and Rita blinked for a moment.

"You what?" He looked at Shakespeare.

"You and the Stone are from another world like the Carrionites, and Martha is from the future. It's not hard to work out."

Rita and the Doctor then looked at each other again and lightly chuckled. "I always thought he was a genius but this is taking it a little too far" Rita breathed.

"That's incredible. You are incredible."

"We're alike in many ways, Doctor, Stone." He looked at them and they lightly smiled. He then turned to Martha and took her hand. "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady." The Doctor and Rita both pursed their lips not sure what to say at this moment. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." he went to kiss her hand but was interrupted by two of the actors from yesterday bursting into the globe shouting for Shakespeare.

"Will, you'll never believe it. She's here! She's turned up!" One of them shouted to him.

"We're the talk of the town. She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again." The other one beamed.

"Who?"

"Her Majesty. She's here." A trumpet sounded and the woman herself walked in with two pikemen either side.

"Queen Elizabeth the First!" The Doctor smiled widely.

She looked at him for a moment. "Doctor! Stone!" She said angrily.

"What?"

"My sworn enemies!" She gasped.

"What?" He repeated confused.

"Off with their heads!" The Queen screamed.

"Oh, what have you done now" Rita groaned taking his hand.

"Me?" He squeaked. "What about you!"

"Off with their heads!" The Queen shouted again.

"What?" He stayed in place and she groaned again trying to get him to move before his head was removed from his body followed by her own.

"Never mind what, just run!" Martha shoved him and he snapped out of it. "See you, Will, and thanks," Martha shouted over her shoulder as they ran.

"Stop that pernicious Doctor!" The Queen shrieked and the pikemen started to chase the Doctor, Rita and Martha into the streets.

"Stop in the name of the Queen!" A pikeman shouted chasing them.

"What have you done to upset her?" Martha asked running behind them.

"He doesn't know, whatever it is it must be bad" Rita replied continuing to run.

"Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you. Still, can't wait to find out." The Doctor laughed and opened the TARDIS. Rita ran in and started to press buttons on the console as well as turning dials and pulling levers.

"That's something to look forward to. Ooo!" He looked back and ducked inside just as an arrow embedded itself in the door.

"And off we go again" Rita sighed pulling the final lever and watching the rotor start to move.


	11. Gridlocked

Martha looked down saddened that she was now meant to go home and just live on with her life forgetting Rita and the Doctor and all the wonderful things that she had seen, aliens, space, time travel it was amazing, beautiful and magnificent and she didn't know what could top it. Her mood was very different to the Doctors however, he practically bounced around the TARDIS in joy. He stopped in front of Martha who sat in the jump seat. "Just one trip. That's what I said. One trip in the TARDIS, and then home. Although The Stone suggested something suppose we could stretch the definition." He held back the smug smile seeing Martha's eyes widen at the idea. "Take one trip into the past, one trip into future. How do you fancy that?" He looked over at Rita who leant against the console smiling.

"No complaints from me!" Martha beamed.

"How about a different planet?" The Doctor suggested.

"Can we go to yours?" The smile on Rita's face fell and she looked down remembering the pain. She wished it wasn't gone and she knew he did too, for once she didn't want to think that she was alone. He had been alone longer and only when it had been just over a good 3 weeks it hurt knowing it was just her and the Doctor, the last of the Time Lords.

"Ah, there's plenty of other places." The Doctor shrugged it off glancing over to Rita and seeing the pain in her eyes even though Martha could not.

"Come on, though. I mean, planet of the Time Lords. That's got to be worth a look. What's it like?" Martha asked.

"Beautiful" Rita blurted out looking at nowhere in particular, just staring at nothing.

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?"

"I suppose it is." The Doctor smiled seeing Rita's eyes turn from hurt to awe remembering her home.

"Great big temples and cathedrals!"

"Yeah." Rita breathed.

"Lots of planets in the sky?"

"The sky's a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow."

"Nothing has ever smelt as good as that grass" Rita sighed.

"Can we go there?" Martha asked looking between them. The Doctor shook his head and didn't realise that he had somehow moved over standing extremely close to Rita while he described Gallifrey.

"Nah." He shook his head and slightly moved away as Rita snapped out of her thought remembering something, someone, but they didn't have a face, not one that she could now remember anyways. But there was a name and she didn't know whose, but it was a beautiful name.

"Where's the fun for us? We don't want to go home. Instead, this is much better. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth. Second hope of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York." He explained while pulling a lever and jolting back as the TARDIS travelled through the vortex and materialised. "Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

The Doctor gestured for Martha to walk out first but then moved in front of the door before Rita could leave. "Are you okay?" He seriously asked her in a quiet voice.

"I'm fine Doctor" She forced a smile, he nodded knowing that even if she wasn't she wouldn't tell him and he couldn't force her without making a scene and Martha finding out what was going on. He moved aside and let her out then went himself into the pouring rain.

"Oh, that's nice. Time Lord version of dazzling." Martha sarcastically replied to the Doctor's earlier comment gasping a little at the sudden rain and attempted to do up her jacket."

Rita groaned at the weather, she wasn't bothered by the cold but having to walk around without a jacket would have been mad. "Hold on" She ran back into the TARDIS and ran to her room to grab her jacket. She smiled seeing it laying on her bed, picked it up and ran back through the console room and back into the rain now with her jacket on. She noticed the Doctor and Martha under cover looking at what seemed to be a monitor.

"Ah, there you are Stone!" The Doctor looked up from the monitor.

"Well, I wasn't going to come out without a jacket." She rolled her eyes.

"You wear leather?"

"He wore a leather jacket once, never got to see it but I know he did" Rita chuckled and Martha laughed as well.

"Well I think it suits you Stone" Martha grinned.

"Anyway." The Doctor coughed diverting their attention back to him. "As I was saying, that's the view we had last time. This must be the lower levels, down in the base of the tower. Some sort of under-city." He explained looking over to the monitor and Rita nodded remembering.

"You've brought me to the slums?" Martha raised a brow at him.

"Much more interesting. It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

"You'd enjoy anything." She retorted.

"That's me. Ah, the rain's stopping. Better and better." He looked up and smiled.

"When you say last time, was that you, the Stone and Rose?"

"Er, yeah. Yeah, it was, yeah."

"Maybe this time I won't have as Rose used to say a trampoline inside of my body" Rita shivered. "That was my first adventure with you" She looked at the Doctor. "Minus the pepper pot ship."

"So it was" He laughed. "There won't be any trampolines attacking you this time" He joked.

"Wait you're taking me to the same planets that you took her?" Martha asked talking about Rose. Rita frowned sensing a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"What's wrong with that?" The Doctor asked oblivious to what was right in front of him. Rita pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head while Martha muttered: "Nothing. Just ever heard the word rebound?"

The Doctor was about to make a remark when a man opened the front of a stall.

"Oh! You should have said." He beamed "How long you been there? Happy. You want Happy." Rita stepped away standing beside the Doctor and Martha as another two stalls opened.

"Customers. Customers! We've got customers!" a woman beamed.

"We're in business. Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read." A third person who was a woman meant.

"Happy, Happy, lovely happy, happy!" The first man spoke.

"Anger. Buy some Anger!"

"Get some Mellow. Makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long."

Rita scrunched up her nose at what she was hearing.

"Don't go to them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?"

"No, thanks." The Doctor bluntly answered.

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha asked.

"I think they're selling moods." Rita shivered.

"Same thing, isn't it?" Martha asked and Rita shook her head then noticed a young woman dressed in rags slowly walk up to the stalls.

"Over here, sweetheart! That's it, come on, I'll get you first!"

"Oi! Oi, you! Over here! Over here! Buy some Happy!"

"Come over here, yeah." The woman walked up to the last stall. "And what can I get you, my love?"

"I want to buy Forget." She sadly and quietly replied.

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much do you want forgetting?"

"It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway." Rita frowned for a moment. _'Why would you be that sad about your parents going on a motorway?'_

"Oh, that's a swine. Try this. Forget Forty-three." She handed a small sticker to the woman. "That's two credits."

"Sorry, but hold on a minute." The Doctor interrupted the woman. "What happened to your parents?"

"They drove off."

"Yeah, but there is always the chance that they might drive back." Rita stepped forward.

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them." She sighed.

"But they can't have gone far. You could find them." The Doctor told her. "No. No, no, don't." The woman stuck the forget 43 tab to her neck and her broken face turned into a relaxed happy one.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" She said in a much happier voice then before.

"Your parents. Your mother and father. They're on the motorway." The Doctor reminded her.

"Are they? That's nice. I'm sorry, I won't keep you." She walked off. The Doctor and Rita watched with Martha behind.

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future. Off their heads on chemicals." Martha noted.

"Not far of from your time then" Rita joked before hearing a scream. The Time Lords whipped their heads around to see a man holding Martha from behind pointing a gun at the Doctor and a woman doing the same at Rita.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all." The woman tried to apologise.

"No, let her go!" The Doctor shouted.

"Let Martha go! We can help!" Rita shouted trying to move closer. The woman moved her gun closer to Rita; the Doctor instantly pulled her back.

"I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help." He shouted still keeping hold of Rita by her wrist. "Both of us, we can help. But first, you've got to let her go!"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Sorry." The man told them. They dragged Martha who was screaming and struggling against the grip through a green door and locked it behind him. The Doctor and Rita ran over to the door and the Doctor tried to force it open. Rita then pulled out her sonic and unlocked the door as the Doctor pushed. They then sprinted through running. "No, no, no!" Rita shouted running as fast as she could. They ran through a corridor. The Doctor forced open another door running through only for the two Time Lords to see a car rising in the air.

"Martha!" The Doctor screamed helplessly watching the car speed off.

"No..." Rita breathed. "Not after.. not after" her voice cracked not daring to say what was on her mind. The Doctor pulled her into a hug resting his head on hers and rubbed her back trying to comfort the Time Lady. "I'm going to kill them" She then gritted her teeth mumbling into his chest now feeling only anger. "That's exactly what I am going to do."

The Doctor instantly pulled away and slightly knelt down looking right into her hazel eyes now eye level with her. "No" held her shoulders. "We don't do that"

"It's all my fault" She swallowed. "I practically begged you to let her have another trip and now we're here"

"Rita" he cupped her face still staring into her eyes. "This is not your fault at all, do not blame yourself."

She sighed not replying and just looked at him, as if she was studying his face, thinking of what to say. "We should go back, see if any of them knew about what happened" She muttered after a few long moments. The Doctor nodded removing his hands from her face and taking her hand leading the way back to where they were before.

They arrived back and the Doctor hammered on the closed hatch of a stall." Thought you'd come back. Do you want some happy Happy?" The man beamed.

"No we don't!" Rita shouted coldly, the man was taken back looking a little terrierfied by the dark look in her eyes.

"Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?" The Doctor asked.

"They've taken her to the motorway." One of the woman opened her hatch replying.

"Looked like carjackers to me."

"I'd give up now, darlings. You won't see her again."

"Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

"He kept on saying three, we need three. What did he mean, three?" The Doctor asked.

"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"And how do we get to this motortway?" Rita asked.

The man lent out of his stall a little and pointed in a direction. "Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You cannot miss it. Tell you what. How about some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my loves."

Rita gritted her teeth again about to scream.

"Word of advice, all of you." The Doctor harshly shouted before Rita bursted, "Cash up, close down and pack your bags."

"Why's that, then?" One of them asked frowning.

"Because as soon as we've found her, alive and well. And we will find her alive and well. Then we're coming back, and this street is closing tonight!"

"Or else you will have to face me, and you really do not want that" Rita coldly snapped at them burning her eyes into them. The Time Lords then walked off down the alleyway in the direction which the man pointed in.

They arrived to a door and the Doctor unlocked it with his sonic screwdriver. Upon stepping throuhg they both started furiously coughing. Rita pulled up her jacket over her mouth to try and stop as they looked around seeing fumes and cars in rows all jammed up.

A car door closest to the balcony where the Doctor and Rita were standing opened and a figure stood in the way. (The Doctor unlocks a metal door and steps out onto a small balcony, coughing in the exhaust fumes. The stationary traffic is stacked in all directions, including up and down. The car nearest the balcony opens its door and a figure in a flying jacket, goggles, helmet and white scarf gestured them over shouting at the two of them with Irish accent "Hey! You daft little street struts. What are you doing standing there? Either get out or get in. Come on!" The Time Lords looked at eachother then ran over and entered the vehicle gasping for breath still coughing. "Did you ever see the like?" A dark haired woman then placed a oxygen mask on the Doctor. "Here you go." He then instantly took it off and tried to place it on Rita. She swatted his hand away shaking her head. "You.. had... it... worse..." She said between breaths and coughs.

"Just standing there, breathing it in." The man who turned out to actually be a cat much like the cat nurses Rita had seen last time. He removed his scarf and googles while talking. "There's this story, says back in the old days, on Junction forty seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet. While Rita was too busy paying attention to this sotry the Doctor forced the oxygen mask on Rita's face and she groaned giving him an annoyed stare narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, you're making it up." The woman told him.

"A fifty foot head! Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose."

"Oh, stop it. That's disgusting."

"What, did you never pick your nose?"

"Bran, we're moving." The woman informed him and he moved sitting in the seat next to hers. Rita removed the mask after she had felt better and placed it on the Doctor shaking her head at him. _"You know sometimes you need to take care of yourself before taking care of other people Doctor"_

 _"With you? Never"_ She rolled her eyes at him and continued listening to the conversation of those in front.

"Twenty yards. We're having a good day. And who might you be, sir ma'am? Very well-dressed for hitchhikers."

The Doctor removed the oxygen mask and began to speak. "Thanks. Sorry, I'm the Doctor and this is The Stone." He gestured to Rita who politly waved.

"Medical man! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie." He smiled.

"Nice to meet you both." Valerie smiled.

"And that's the rest of the family behind you." Rita and the Doctor moved a curtian to see a littler of kittens in a basket jumping around.

"Aww" Rita hummed. "Their adorable"

"Hello" The Doctor smiled picking a black kitten up and stroking it as Rita smiled stoking the one in his arms as well"

"How old are they?" Rita curiously asked.

"Just two months." Valerie replied.

"Poor little souls. They've never known the ground beneath their paws." Brannigan muttered and Rita turned to him in shock. "Children of the motorway."

"You mean they were born in here?" Rita asked looking at them both.

"We couldn't stop. We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance." She shrugged.

"What, you've been driving for two months?" The Doctor looked between them both.

"Do I look like a teenager?" Brannigan retorted. "We've been driving for twelve years now."

Rita's eyes widend and she coughed. "Tweleve years?!"

"Yeah! Started out as newlyweds. Feels like yesterday." He looked at his wife happily.

"Feels like twelve years to me." She replied cheekily.

"Ah, sweetheart, but you're still love me."

"Twelve years? How far did you come? Where did you start?" The Doctor asked.

"Battery Park. It's five miles back."

Rita's eyes widened even more. "Don't tell me you travelled five miles in tweleve years"

"I think their a bit slow."

"Where are you from?" Valerie asked.

"Never mind that." The Doctor waved her off. "We've got to get out. Our friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage." The Doctor explained.

"We should get back to the TARDIS." Rita told the Doctor who nodded and then opened the door only to start coughing again. She pulled him back inside and he closed the door.

"You're too late for that. We've passed the lay-by. You're passengers now, Sonny Jim." Brannigan told them.

"When's the next lay-by?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh," He thought for a moment then looked at them apologetically. "Six months?"

"Six months!?" Rita looked at them in horror hoping to not believe what she was actually hearing and didn't realise she began to shake at the thought of losing another friend. The Doctor noticed this and moved a little closer wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her a little closer to him.

 _"Rita we will find her, I promise."_

After calming the Time Lady down which honestly took a little longer than the Doctor had hoped since she repeatedly blamed herself for what had happened the Doctor hacked into the communication system using his sonic screwdriver. "I need to talk to the police." He said into the comm.

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold." Rita frowned and moved over to the Doctor.

"But you're the police." The Doctor replied and the computer gave the same message: "Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

The Doctor sighed and looked at Brannigan. "Is there anyone else? We once met the Duke of Manhattan. Is there any way of getting through to him?"

"Oh now, ain't you lordly?" He sarcasitcally joked.

"Brannigan we have got to find our friend" Rita seriously told him.

"You can't make outside calls." Valerie explained. "The motorway's completely enclosed."

"How about other cars can we talk to them at all?" Rita asked and the Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah. Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list." He pressed on the monitor. "Now, let's see. Who's nearby? Ah, the Cassini sisters!" He beamed. The screen then flickered and showed two older woman and the car number 8-1-7-a-1.

"Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

"Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace." One of the woman groaned.

"Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?" He replied.

"You know full well we're not sisters. We're married."

"Ooo, stop that modern talk. I'm an old-fashioned cat. Now, I've got some hitchhikers here, the Doctor and the Stone."

The Doctor then grabbed the radio from Brannigan and Rita swatted his arm for it. _"Rude"_

The Doctor rolled his eyes ignoring her. "Hello. Sorry. We're looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked."

"She's inside one of these vehicles, but we don't know which one" Rita sighed.

The other woman then set down her knitting needles and picked up a large book and opened it. "Wait a minute. Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"

"Where were we?" The Doctor asked and Rita rolled her eyes leaning over to the radio the Doctor was still holding.

"Sorry about him, doesn't pay attention sometimes" She glared at the Doctor. "We were in Pharmacy Town, this was around twenty minutes ago."

"Let's have a look. " She then started flicking through her book. "You need to start paying attention to the signs Doctor" Rita whispered quietly.

"Well, there were no signs" He protested.

"Exactly why I just told you to pay more attention, I saw three" He rolled his eyes at her mumbling something Rita didn't hear under his breath.

"Just my luck to marry a car-spotter." The woman not searching through the book thought aloud.

The other then stopped and nodded. "In the last half hour, fifty three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction." Rita sighed.

"Anything more specific?" The Doctor asked.

"All in good time." The woman replied then asked: "was she car-jacked by two people?"

"Yes, she was, yeah." The Doctor nodded.

"There we are." She smiled. "Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board. And car number is four six five diamond six."

Rita beamed as the Doctor exclaimed: "That's it! So how do we find them?"

"Ah. Now there I'm afraid I can't help." She apologised.

"Call them on this thing. We've got their number. Diamond six." The Doctor started but was interupted by Brannigan.

"But not if they're designated fast lane. It's a different class."

"You could try the police." The woman with the book suggested.

"We tried that, put him on hold" Rita jerked her thumb in the direction of the Doctor and pursed her lips in thought.

"You'll have to keep trying. There's no one else."

"Thank you." The Doctor and Rita both nodded appreciating the help.

"We need to go down, it's the only way we have to find her," Rita told Brannigan.

The Doctor nodded and Brannigan started to shake his head. "We've got to go to the fast lane. Take us down."

"Not a million years."

"You've got four passengers." Rita protested.

"I'm still not going."

"She's alone and she's lost. She doesn't belong on this planet," The Doctor explained.

"Brannigan, you heard me earlier. This is all my fault, we have to get her back"

"We're asking you, Brannigan, take us down." The Doctor added not mentioning the part where Rita had blamed herself, he didn't want an argument with her. Not now, plus he knew he wouldn't win in an argument against her.

"That's a no. And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there." Valerie added.

"Why not? What's the risk? What happens down there?" The Doctor pressed Brannigan and Valerie with questions.

"We're not discussing it." She snapped at him trying to stay calm. "The conversation is closed."

"So that's it then." Rita sighed. "We just keep on driving."

"Yes, we do." Brannigan replied.

"For how long?" The Doctor asked.

"Till the journey's end."

The Doctor grabbed the radio again. "Mrs Cassini, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?" He asked her.

"Oh, we were amongst the first. It's been twenty three years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?"

"I'm not sure." She said a little certain and worried.

"Look at your notes. Any police?"

"Not as such." Rita's eyes widend in realisation and she took the radio from the Doctor. "Hello this is the Stone, sorry I stop the radio, what about an ambulance? Have you ever seen an ambulance?"

The Doctor grumbled at her and took the radio back. "Rescue service? Anything official. Ever." He asked and she began to stutter.

"I can't keep a note of everything."

"What if there's no one out there?" The Doctor asked them, Brannigan then snapped and snatched the radio back off of the Doctor. "Stop it. The Cassinis were doing you both a favour."

"Someone's got to ask, because you might not talk about it, but it's there in your eyes." The Doctor looked at him. "I know the Stone sees it too. What if the traffic jam never stops?"

"There's a whole city above us. The mighty city state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us." Brannigan protested not wanting to hear a word of this.

"In that case, where are they, hmm? What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round and round, never stopping. Forever."

Valerie then shouted in her seat. "Shut up! Just shut up!"

The monitor then switched to a blue screen showing a woman. "This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation."

"You think you two know us so well, Doctor. Stone But we're not abandoned. Not while we have each other." Brannigan told them.

"This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe."

Brannigan and Valerie then began to sing alone with all of the other passengers. The Doctor and Rita both raised a brow then looked at each other as the rest continued to sing.

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Kathiena: A short answer to your question is: yes. The long answer explaining what is happening is as follows: when I started this series it was solely on wattpad and it stayed that way for the first book and over half of the second. I then found quotev through a friends recommendation and began to post my book on there. I found after that and started publishing here. I haven't had any time to transfer every chapter from wattpad to quotev and (wattpad having its own writing area where you don't need docs made that an issue. I'm hoping to resolve that soon) due to this none of the stories are in level with each other. To try and fix this quotev and both get two chapters per week while wattpad only gets one. (Last week was an exception as no chapters were published. I was very busy with work and college assignments) when they are level with each other it will go to one chapter per week. Hope this explains everything to you and others wondering this as well :)**


	12. Gridlocked - Two

"I guess we find our own way down then." Rita glanced at the Doctor while the two in front continued to sing with the rest of the people of the motorway.

"Me not 'we'" He corrected and then crouched down and started to sonic the floor to open a trap door.

"Doctor either I come with you or I will follow you" Rita sternly told him. "And you know I will just follow you."

"You are not coming with me." he protested looking at her.

"Do you seem to forget that I am a Time Lady?" She asked. "Because at times it seems like you do, I am as old as you. I am not a child Doctor."

He stopped looking at her so angrily and looked down then took in a deep breath and sighed. "You're right." She blinked for a moment not understanding what he meant. "But I care about you, if something happened to you then I don't know what I would do, after-" He swallowed. "After Rose and now this I realised that I can't always keep you or anyone one hundred percent safe."

"Doctor." She laughed. "Following you keeps me safe, it's what we do. We look out and keep each other safe, it's what we always have done, ever since the start."

"The start?"

"When you was telling Martha about Gallifrey in the TARDIS something clicked and I remembered something, someone but I couldn't link the name to a face."

He looked at her confused but his eyes showed somewhat hope. "But that name." She took in a sharp breath. "I can link it to a face now, all of the faces in fact and I remember."

"What do you remember?" He asked a tiny bit of fear in his eyes.

 _"You, Theta"_ His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as soon as the word entered his head. "I remember you" She smiled. "And I don't hate you for what you did, but we are going to talk about it later. I have to tell you why." She mumbled as he swallowed not thinking he would have to ever explain himself to her or hear her do the same to him. Not replying he continued to sonic at the trap door on the floor. Brannigan and Valerie turned around in horror just as the song ended gasping at the sight with their eyes wide.

"What do you think you're doing?" Brannigan asked.

"Finding our own way. we usually do." the trapdoor then flew open and the computer confirmed it for them: "Capsule open."

"Here we go." He then took his coat off and threw it over to Valerie, her face still held the shock and horror from before.

"Look after this. I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat."

"Take mine as well, no one gave it to me but still it's a nice jacket" Rita removed her leather jacket and threw it at Valerie.

"But you can't jump." She said in terror for them both.

"If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now, I'm having kittens."

"Oh, you just had to didn't you." Rita rolled her eyes at him.

"This Martha. She must mean an awful lot to you both." Brannigan said to them.

"Hardly know her. I was too busy showing off. And I lied to her."

"And I encouraged it, then I went along with his lie." Rita sighed. "Doctor?" She looked at him raising a brow and he nodded.

"Bye then." he dropped down onto the roof of the car below then looked up as Rita peered over. He opened his arms and shouted up. "Trust me!"

"As if I don't." She shouted while dropping from the roof and landing in the Doctors arms. "Nice catch glad I'm not laying flat across the roof with broken bones"

"That wouldn't be a pretty sight" He commented letting her stand and then used his sonic screwdriver on the car roof opening the hatch and jumping inside before helping Rita in.

"Capsule open." The car started and a man with completely white skin spun around in shock.

"Who the hell are you?" He said to them both.

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol." The Doctor made up as Rita used her sonic on the trapdoor. "We're doing a survey. How are you enjoying your motorway?" The Doctor asked keeping the man busy while Rita opened the trapdoor.

"Well, not very much. Junction Five's been closed for three years."

"Thank you. Your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!" Rita smiled opening the trapdoor. The Doctor hung on the car as the next stopped underneath he then jumped down and repeated the process of catching the brunette yet again then soniced the trap door open.

"Capsule open."

He jumped in, helped Rita and headed straight for the trap door as two women looked around confused.

"Could we borrow these?" Rita held up two headscarves one black and one a purple colour. She tied one of them around her face as a mask and tied the Doctors on his while he opened the trapdoor.

"Thank you" he nodded to her after she finished.

"Capsule open."

The Doctor opened the door and then turned to the woman moving the mask headscarf to speak. "Thank you for your cooperation. Your comments have been noted." He looked down at the purple headscarf and muttered: "Not my colour, but thank you very much." Then jumped down to the next, helping Rita and then opened the hatch.

"Capsule open" they jumped into a nudist car and Rita jumped at the sight and turned around facing the other way almost instantly.

"Ooo! Don't mind us." The Doctor commented opening the trap door not even bothering to mention about the motorway patrol anymore. They continued to jump from car to car until jumping into the last one.

"Capsule open."

The Doctor helped Rita down who was coughing. "Excuse me, is that legal?" A man bowler in a hat and pinstripe suit asked.

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol." The Doctor now started to cough himself. "Whatever. Have you got any water?"

"Certainly. Never let it be said I've lost my manners." He handed the Doctor two tiny cones of water. The Doctor handed one to Rita who accepted the drink and gulped it all down as he hastily drank his.

"I'm going to take a guess that this is the last layer?" Rita looked at the man who nodded.

"We're right at the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane." He replied.

"Can we drive down?" The Doctor suggested. "There are three of us"

"No way I'm not going down there" the man shook his head and the Doctor groaned a little and moved over to the trapdoor. "Then excuse us." He then opened it with his sonic screwdriver and the man's eyes widened.

"You can't jump. It's a thousand feet down."

"As much of an idiot that he can be at times, he isn't that much of an idiot." The Doctor looked up narrowing his eyes at Rita and mumbled something along the lines of 'cheeky' under his breath and then turned to the man. "No, I just want to look."

They peered through the hole now in the car and looked down into what was a thick layer of smoke below. There were lights glowing faintly below.

"What's that noise?" The Doctor asked.

"I try not to think about it." The man admitted.

Rita frowned then moved over to the cars monitor in the front and began to sonic it. "There has to be some kind of ventilation down there." She started to explain. "I just might be able to transmit a pulse through this, trip the system and have a nice lovely bit of air circulating below"

"Ah ha! The Doctor grinned. "You're a genius!"

"I try not to show it too much" she looked back at him. "Sometimes it ruins your ego a little too much and you get rude, already rude enough as it is" she hummed and opened the panel taking out the monitor. The Doctor then moved over and started to help her taking some wires.

"My ego is none of your concern Stone" he cheekily replied.

"Almost as big as planet Earth" she hummed mockingly.

The Doctor then connected the wires as Rita soniced them. They heard a noise of what seemed to be the ventilation kicking in. "That's it! Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look." The Doctor and Rita headed back and the man followed curiosity taking over him.

"What are those shapes?" He asked looking below at the shapes of millions of claws snapping up at them.

"They're alive." The Doctor muttered.

"What the hell are they?" The man gasped not able to take his eyes off of what he was seeing.

"They're called Macra." Rita told him.

The Doctor started to explain to the man looking very confused at them both. "The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy. Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don't exactly look like empire builders to me." He noted.

"That was billions of years ago" Rita informed him. "Now they're just beasts that happen to look a lot like crabs, Earth crabs. Not going to look at crabs the same way ever again, anyways they're clearly still hungry."

"And our friend's down there." There was a loud thud on the roof of the car and a body then climbed in.

"Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness's sake!" The man groaned.

"We've invented a sport." The Doctor looked over to Rita.

"Doctor, you're a hard man to find. Rita you are even harder" the cat woman who Rita remembered from somewhere spoke.

"No guns. I'm not having guns." The man protested pointing at the weapon.

"I only brought this in case of pirates. Doctor, Rita you've got to come with me."

"Do I know you?"

"Wait how do you know that name?" Rita question.

"That is the name you used when we met." The cat woman said to Rita."You both haven't aged at all. Time has been less kind to me."

The Doctors eyes widened. "Novice Hame!" He hugged her then frowned pushing her away. "No, hold on, get off. Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

"And I had my body stole," Rita muttered. "All better now, I also prefer to go by 'the Stone'"

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor, Stone. For so many years, under his guidance. And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

"His? Whose?" Rita asked however the Doctor spoke above her shouting: "We're not going anywhere! You've got Macra living underneath this city. Macra! And if our friend's still alive, she's stuck down there."

"You've got to come with me right now." She told them.

"Hame she is on her own all alone with people she does not even know! We are not going!" Rita protested.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, Stone. But the situation is even worse than you can imagine." She then grabbed both of their wrists and hit what looked like a bracelet.

"Transport."

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare!" The Doctor shouted before they were transported to another location.

"Oh, that was not fun." Rita groaned sitting up.

"Rough teleport. Ow." The Doctor sat up noticed Rita was okay then got up helping her to stand as well before turning to Hame. "You can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Martha."

"She only had power for just one trip." Rita sadly muttered. "Can't you get some more?"

"Sadly no." Hame replied.

"Where are we?" The Doctor asked

"High above, in the over-city." She replied.

"Good. Because you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word. They have got thousands of people trapped on the motorway. Millions!" He shouted at her.

"But you're inside the Senate, right now. May the goddess Santori bless them." She used her teleport bracelet to turn on the lights of the Senate. The building brightened and Rita's eyes travelled around the room along with the Doctor, both of them seeing skeletons scattered everywhere.

"They died, Doctor. The city died."

"How long has it been like this Hame?" Rita asked continuing to look around the area.

"Twenty-four years."

"All of them?" The Doctor asked. "Everyone? What happened?"

"A new chemical. A new mood. They called it Bliss." She went over and took one of the stickers from a skeleton. "Everyone tried it. They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished. Even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. Stone They were saved."

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic." The Doctor understood.

"There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who's we? How did you survive?"

"Now you ask" Rita rolled her eyes then noticed Hame was staring at her. "Sorry continue"

"He protected me. And he has waited for you both, these long years."

 _"Doctor, his Stone"_ Both of the Time Lords eyes widened and they ran off in a direction.

"The Face of Boe!" They both beamed at him both kneeling down touching the glass of the tank gently.

 _"I knew you two would come."_

"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sin," Hame explained to them.

"Old friend, what happened to you?" The Doctor asked.

 _"Failing."_ He replied.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke. But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

"He saved all of those people" Rita smiled at the tank.

Hame nodded at Rita. "The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But there are millions of other planets that you could have called for help," Rita told Hame smiling a little.

"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years."

"So the two of you stayed here, on your own for all these years." The Doctor understood.

"We had no choice."

"Yes, you did." The Doctor protested.

 _"Save them, Doctor and Stone. Save them."_

"I don't know about you Doctor but I can't go denying anyone any help," Rita said while running over to the computer and started to sonic it. "If I can just get this to just show me..." the Doctor ran over and watched over her shoulder then beamed when it showed the numbers they were looking for.

"Car four six five diamond six. It still registers!" He shouted pointing at it and hugging Rita. "That's Martha. I knew she was good."

"You're not the only one."

"Novice Hame, hold that in place." The Doctor handed her two cables together. "Think, think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it..."

"And feed it through the electricity grid!" Rita shouted

"There isn't enough power," Hame told them looking saddened.

"Oh, you've got power. You've got me and the Stone. I'm brilliant with computers, and she's even better, Just you watch." He sent a wink to Rita and she rolled her eyes.

"You can mess about later Doctor, for now, we have to get all those people out." She told him running over to the computer again. "She's still there. Come on Martha!"

"Hame, every switch on that bank up to maximum. We can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people." The Doctor ordered her.

"So what are you going to do?" She asked him.

"This!" He shouted and threw a big switch and the lights then went out.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." The Doctor and Rita looked up.

"The transformers are blocked." Rita informed him while running over to assist him with some wires. "The signal can't get through."

"Doctor. Stone."

"Yeah, hold on, not now." The Doctor said.

"I give you my last..." they turned around and heard a weak wheezing as the power then came back on."

"Hame, look after him." The Doctor pointed at the Face of Boe. "Don't you go dying on us, you big old face. You've got to see this. The open road. Ha!" He pulled the switch again.

"Right then" Rita ran over to the computer again. "Time to make an announcement I think. Doctor?" She looked over her shoulder and he came standing behind her. "Ah ha, there we go."

"Sorry, no Sally Calypso. She was just a hologram. My name's the Doctor."

"And mines the Stone" Rita added.

"And this is an order. Everyone drive up. Right now." The Doctor told them.

"We've opened the roof of the motorway. Come on. Throttle those engines. Drive up. All of you."

"The whole of the under-city. Drive up, drive up, drive up! Fast! As fast as you can!" Rita said loudly.

"We've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way." The Doctor told the.

"Oi! Car four six five diamond six."

"Miss Martha Jones!" Rita beamed. "Drive up!"

"That's the Doctor and the Stone!" They heard her scream and laugh.

"We can't go up! We'll hit the layer!" The man in the car protested.

"Just do what they say! Go up!"

"You've got access above. Now go!" The Doctor promised.

"It's daylight. Oh, my God, that's the sky. The real sky." The woman in the car with Martha cried.

"They did it! I told you, they did it!" Martha cheered.

"Did I tell you, Doctor? You're not bad, sir." Neither are you, Stone. Ma'am. You're not bad at all! Oh, yee-hah!" Brannigan shouted

"You keep driving, Brannigan. All the way up. Because it's here, just waiting for you. The city of New New York, and it's yours. And don't forget I want that coat back." The Doctor told him.

"I also want mine jacket. It's a nice jacket"

"I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir, ma'am"

"Car four six five diamond six, I've just sent you a flight path to us," Rita told them.

"On my way." They heard Martha through a radio.

"It's been quite a while since we saw you, Martha Jones."

"Too long I think"

"Doctor! Stone!" Hame shouted. They snapped their heads in her direction and saw a huge crack through the Face of Boes glass.

"No, no, no" Rita cried running over. "You can't die, not now" she cried out again. "We have to do something," she ran over to the wires and started to sonic them. The Doctor slowly walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, she knew that they couldn't do anything about it. But she wanted to at least try.

She let out a sniff and felt her eyes began to water. She knew who was dying because she remembered saying to them when she was human. Seeing she was distressed the Doctor pulled her into an embrace, her head rested against his chest and his on her head.

"I'm sorry Rita" he whispered softly rubbing her back.

 _"Rita, my old friend. It seems that you two are close now."_ she heard the Face of Boe or more specifically Captain Jack Harkness in her mind.

 _"The Doctors my Best friends."_ She swallowed thickly not wanting to cry. _"You knew I was a Time Lady didn't you?"_ She asked.

 _"Indeed I did"_ he replied and she sighed allowing tear trickle down her face.

"Doctor? Stone?" They heard Martha call.

"Over here." He called her over still holding Rita who had calmed down now. She wiped her eyes still a little red from before and sighed letting go of the Doctor who gave her a warm sad smile.

"Doctor! What happened out there?" She asked then noticed the Face of Boe whose glass had cracked and broke with him lying out of it. "What's that?" She asked.

"This is the Face of Boe." Rita smiled softly at Martha.

"It's all right. Come and say hello. And this is Hame. She's a cat. Don't worry. He's the one that saved you, not us." The Doctor told her and she slowly walked over standing beside the two Time Lords.

"My Lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying," Hame told them.

"No, don't say that. Not old Boe. Plenty of life left." The Doctor told her.

"It's good to breathe the air once more." The Face of Boe said.

"Who is he?" Martha asked.

"I don't even know. The Stone must" he looked at her and she shook her head at him.

"Something I haven't said in a while" she gave a watery laugh. "Secrets Doctor"

"Ah" he nodded then continued. "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

"Everything has its time." Boe told the Doctor. "You know that, old friend, better than most."

"The legend says more." Hame started to explain but the Doctor interrupted.

"Don't. There's no need for that."

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to two travellers."

"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?" He asked.  
"I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you two are the last of yours, Doctor, Stone"

"And that's why we must survive together, the three of us." Rita's voice cracked a little feeling more tears about to start. "Please don't go."

 _"Goodbye Stone."_

 _"Goodbye, Jack." She choked._

"I must." He finished allowed. "But know this, Time Lords. You are not alone." He whispered and then let out his breath for the final time while closing his eyes. The Doctor pulled Rita over to him again and she began to sob once more as Hame wept as well.

"All closed down." The Doctor looked around Pharmacy Town and tapped one of the stall doors.

"Happy?" Martha asked.

"Happy happy." Rita smiled feeling a little better than she did earlier.

"New New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs. Cats in charge." The Doctor said.

"Hopefully they don't have trampolines that want to take people's bodies" she shivered and the Doctor gave a laugh.

"Come on, time we were off."

"But what did he mean, the Face of Boe?" Martha asked slowing down a little. "You're not alone."

"I don't know."

"I wish I knew but I don't." Rita pursed her lips a little.

"You've got me. Is that what he meant?"

"Sorry Martha, but I don't think he did." Rita sadly smiled at the woman. "We may never know."

"Then what?" She asked.

"Doesn't matter. Back to the TARDIS, off we go." The Time Lords started to walk off, Martha took a chair lying on the ground straightened it and then sat cross-armed and legged.

"All right, are you staying?" The Doctor asked turning around.

"Till the both of you talk to me properly, yes. He said last of your kind. What does that mean?"

"Martha," Rita warned.

"It really doesn't matter." The Doctor added.

"You two don't talk. You never say. Why not?"

 _"Doctor"_ Rita looked at him as Martha looked up in awe hearing the city singing. _"I can't keep lying to her. She's my friend now. We have to tell her"_ he swallowed and looked at her seeing the hurt and plead in her hazel eyes he sighed.

"They're singing." Martha smiled softly.

"I lied to you, because I liked it." the Doctor blurted out while the song played.

"And I went along with it, because I remembered and it hurt, we could pretend for just a bit. Imagine they were still all alive." She softly smiled looking into thin air.

"Underneath a burnt orange sky. We're not just Time Lords. We're the last of the Time Lords." The Doctor smiled at Rita and took her hand in his.

"The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else except us." Rita sighed.

"What happened?" Martha asked. The Doctor then let go of the brunette's hand and grabbed a chair, opened it up and gestured for Rita to sit down as he stood behind her his hands on her shoulders.

"There was a war. A Time War. The last Great Time War. Our people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And they lost. They lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky."

"I'm still here you idiot." Rita lightly hit his arm and he chuckled.

"Yeah you are, shame" he joked.

"Oi!" She looked up at him shaking her head then looked back as he continued to talk. "Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet." He smiled. "The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine." Rita then closed her eyes and memories filled her mind remembering when she was much younger, a child looking out of a window and seeing it all. "The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire."

"And when the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song." Rita murmured finishing from the Doctor, her eyes still closed remembering a time where she had snuck out and was laughing, running around with a much younger Doctor listings to the trees and the wind. "And it's all gone, they took it all and ruined it. Every last thing." Rita sighed and opened her eyes, Martha looked at them saddened, broken almost feeling pain for them both.

"How did you survive?" She asked.

Rita looked up at the Doctor. "That's a whole different story for another day." The Doctor patted her arm. He knew she wasn't going to let that conversation slip from him. "You look tired Martha, you can go sleep in my room if you want, I don't mind."

Martha looked up at the Doctor in question and he nodded. They then stood up and slowly walked back to the TARDIS.

 _"Now we need to talk Doctor"_ he swallowed slightly not quite sure what was going to happen next.


	13. Daleks in Manhatten

Rita sat in the jump seat as the Doctor walked around the console thinking how he would tell her everything. Martha had gone to rest and he was worrying a little too much about what _she_ would say to him. What _her_ reaction to what he did would be when she told him, what if she knew?

"Doctor" Rita said shattering the silence and causing him to stop in his tracks and shoot his head in the Time Lady's direction. "Just ask me what you want Doctor. I wouldn't get mad or angry." He then proceeded to raise his brows at her. "I promise"

The Doctor let out a deep breath before he walked over and sat down beside her on the jump seat. "How did you escape?"

Sighing the Time Lady began to talk. "After you warned me about Arcadia I thought long and hard about my family. My mother and father, everyone, I knew even with you not telling me, I knew that you were going to use the moment and I got scared, I did what we did years and years before, I stole my family's TARDIS and ran, but unlucky me got shot, one of the bloody pepper pots found me and shot me, I managed to get into the TARDIS and get out of Gallifrey but then I regenerated and became even more scared and terrified so I took myself to a parallel universe and used a Charmeleon Arch to make myself human."

"I thought you died..." He muttered.

"And I'm sorry." She whispers looking at the ground, the pattern of the grating suddenly becoming interesting to her eyes that were unable to look away, glued to the pattern of the metal desperately trying to avoid looking anywhere near him.

"I heard you disappeared and thought that you died it was meant to be impossible for you to come back." The Doctor muttered. "I only thought it was you when I saw the watch, then the Daleks called you Stone and I hoped it was you."

"I remember how I got that name as well." She laughed. "But Doctor?" She looked at him. "Do you wish that I had told you what I was planning to do before I went?" She then swallowed thickly choosing her words carefully as if they could shatter him into a million pieces. "Even if I told you I would have never been able to come back let alone open the watch on my own.

He looked at her for a moment thinking to himself not even realising that she was not looking right at him. It was like she couldn't face him until asking that question. Giving him that reality. He studied her face and her eyes then gave his answer knowing that after all of this their friendship grew even wider and stronger: "No"

"Morning Martha!" Rita beamed watching the woman walk into the console room.

"Have you two been here since I went to sleep?" She asked.

"We did some reading for a while" the Doctor shrugged. She eyed them for a moment still trying to figure out where they both stood with one enough, at times she could swear that they were together but at others, she believed that they were just best friends.

"How are you not tired?" She asked them.

"Time Lords don't need much sleep." The Doctor explained. "Anyway off we go." He jumped out of the jump seat and started running around the console turning dials, pressing buttons then pulling a lever. The TARDIS jolted and Rita groaned getting thrown to the floor.

"Sory there Stone" The Doctor held out his hand and helped her up after the TARDIS materialised. She narrowed his eyes at him then grabbed her coat off of the 'Y' beam and threw the Doctors in his face, laughing as it hit him then fell to the floor leaving him looking a little dazed by the sudden action.

Rita rolled her eyes and headed for the door, he picked up his coat and followed exiting the TARDIS. Martha followed and asked: "Where are we?" While walking out of the TARDIS.

"Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze. Nice and cold. Lovely. Martha, Stone have you met my friend?"

They both turned and looked up seeing the Statue of Liberty.

"I believe I have actually, came to New York on a trip once I think" Rita nodded.

"Is that?" Martha looked up stunned. "Oh, my God. That's the Statue of Liberty." She gasped.

"Gateway to the New World. Give me you tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free."

"That's so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new one."

"You can never get better than the original can you?" Rita asked admiring the statue.

"You sure can't" Martha replied.

"Well, there's the genuine article." They turned around. "So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally." The Doctor began to ramble. "Harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."

"I wonder what year it is, because look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet." Martha pointed to it and surely she was right, the empire state building was still not finished at the top.

"Work in progress. Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around"

"November first, 1930." Martha cut him off reading off of a newspaper she had found lying on a bench.

"You're getting good at this." The Doctor said before looking down and seeing she was reading off a newspaper.

"Eighty years ago. It's funny because you see all those old newsreels all in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are." She smiled looking at the view. "It's real. It's now. Come on then, you two. Where do you want to go first?"

"I think our detour just got a little longer," Rita muttered pointing to the newspaper. "What do you say to taking a look?" She suggested.

"Hooverville Mystery Deepens." Martha read of the paper frowning. "What's Hooverville?"

"Come on Martha, we can explain on the way." Rita told the woman beginning to walk off.

" Herbert Hoover, thirty-first President of the USA, came to power a year ago." The Doctor explained while the three walked through central park. "Up till then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then."

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah? When was that, 1929?"

"Yeah 1929" Rita replied. "The whole economy wiped out overnight leaving thousands of people unemployed, the number doubled with no where to go so where do you think they went?" She asked Martha.

"What, they actually live in the park? In the middle of the city?" She guessed while they continued to walk and then came up to the small looking down which was overlooked and in the center of the park.

"Ordinary people lost their jobs. Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. No one's helping them. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go." The Doctor explained to Martha as they walked down what was a small street, people watched them past most likely seeing the well cleaned clothes they wore.

"You thieving lowlife!" They heard a man shouting and a fight breaking out.

"I didn't touch it!" The other man protested. "Somebody stole it!"

They stood watching out of the way and noticed another man walk out of a tent setting a hand on his head. "Cut that out! Cut that out right now!" He ordered pulling the two apart.

"He stole my bread!" The man shouted.

"That's enough! Did you take it?" The one with the hat on asked the other.

"I don't know what happened. He just went crazy." The man claiming the other stole his bread then went to lunge for the man.

"That's enough! Now, think real careful before you lie to me."

"I'm starving, Solomon."

The man with his hat on now called Soloman held out his hand and the man hesitated before bringing a loaf of bread from inside his jacket.

"We're all starving. We all got families somewhere." He told them both and broke the bread in half handing them each a piece. "No stealing and no fighting. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together. No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got." The two then walked away.

The Doctor then leaned to Martha and Rita and whispered for them both to follow. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here." He said to Solomon.

Solomon looked at the three. "And, er, who might you be?" he asked.

"He's the Doctor, she's the Stone and I'm Martha."

"A doctor. Huh. Well, we got stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighbourhood gets classier by the day." Solomon joked nodding his head in the direction of each of the men he spoke about.

"How many people live here?" Martha asked.

"At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society. Black, white, all the same. All starving. So you're welcome, the three of you. But tell me. Doctor, you're a man of learning, right?" he then walked away and the Doctor followed. He then pointed between the trees up at the Empire States building. "Explain this to me. That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, when we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

"Sometimes people sadly think for themselves" Rita spoke up.

"So, men are going missing. Is this true?" The Doctor asked walking in Solomons tent, Rita and Martha following behind.

"It's true all right."

 **"** But what does missing mean? Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."

"This is different." Solomon replied.

"In what way?" Martha asked sitting down on a stool.

"Someone takes them, at night. We hear something, someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone like they vanished into thin air.

"How are you so sure that someone is taking them? They could have just left" Rita pointed out and the Doctor nodded from where he was standing.

"Stone, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got. Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."

"Have you been to the police?" Martha suggested.

"Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal."

"So the question is, who's taking them and what for?" The Doctor asked, they three then turned their heads in the direction of a voice calling for Solomon. A young man then poked his head inside the tent.

"Solomon, Mister Diagoras is here." The man then removed himself from the tent as the young man spoke. The Doctor, Rita and Martha all looked at each other before following wondering what all of the commotion was about.

They walked out and a man stood on a box as a crowd began to gather. "I need men. Volunteers. I've got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money." He spoke loudly so they would all hear.

" Yeah. What is the money?" The young man from before asked.

"A dollar a day."

"What's the work?"

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?" Diagoras asked looking at the crowd.

Solomon then spoke up. "A dollar a day? That's slave wage. And men don't always come back up, do they."

 _"Don't always come back? Are you thinking what I am thinking Doctor?"_

 _"Prehaps I am."_ He grinned.

"Accidents happen." Diagoras said rather flatly.

"What do you mean? What sort of accidents?" The Doctor asked.

"You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?" He asked. The Doctor and Rita then looked at each other then back at Diagoras raising their hands.

"Enough with the questions." Diagoras said to them.

"Oh, no, no, no. we're volunteering. we'll go." Martha looked at them and groaned then raised her hand as well.

"I'll kill you two for this." She whispered. The two Time Lords just grinned at her in amusment.

"Anybody else?" Diagoras asked, Solomon and the young man beside him then raised their own hands.

The crowd then disbanded and Diagoras gestured for them to follow. They then climbed into the sewers and he began to explain the directions. "Turn left. Go about a half a mile. Follow tunnel two seven three. Fall's right ahead of you, you can't miss it."

"And when do we get our dollar?" The man who said his name was Frank asked.

"When you come back up."

"And what would happen is we prehaps don't come back up?" Rita asked crossing her arms and raising a brow.

"Then I got no one to pay."

"Don't worry, we'll be back." Solomon muttered.

"Let's hope so." Martha mumbled walking away with Solomon and Frank. The Doctor and Rita stared blankly at Diagoras for a few moments before they turned and followed the others.

"I don't like him one bit" Rita whispered to the Doctor who hummed in agreement. They walked on in silence for a while until Frank started to talk.

"We just got to stick together. It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here." Frank said to Martha.

"So what about you, Frank? You're not from around these parts, are you?" Martha asked.

"Oh, you could talk." he looked at martha. "No, I'm Tennessee born and bred."

"So how come you're here?" She asked.

"Oh, my daddy died. Mama couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in the camp, younger than me, from all over. Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Solomon keeps a lookout for us." He explained then looked at Martha. "So, what about you? You're a long way from home."

"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too." She nodded.

"You stick with me, you'll be all right."

"So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" The Doctor asked walking between Solomon and Rita shining his light in front to see.

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now, it seems like he's running most of Manhattan."

"And how did he get to that?" Rita asked.

"These are strange times. A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way round." They continued to walk Rita then pulled the Doctor to a stop and moved his light down.

"Whoa!" He gasped looking down at what looked like a luminous green jellyfish.

"Is it radioactive or something?" Martha asked as the Time Lords crouched down. she then held a hand over her nose in disgust. "It's gone off, whatever it is." The Doctor then picked it up and went to sniff it. "And you've got to pick it up."

"Just be lucky he hasn't licked it." Rita told Martha. "I've seen something like this before, somewhere, but I can't remember where it was" She explained before slightly leaning in and sniffing. "You are right though, smells nasty"

"Shine your torch through it." The Doctor instructed Martha who did so. "Composite organic matter." he stated. "Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human. I know that." She told him and Rita nodded.

"No, it's not. And I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in. I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So why did Mister Diagoras send up down here?"

"I did say I didn't like that man at all" Rita muttered. "So what is going on, what are we needed for?"

"Where are we now?" Martha asked. "What's above us?"

"Well, we're right underneath Manhattan." The Doctor.

"You can keep that in your pockets because it isn't going in mine" Rita pointed at it. The Doctor rolled his eyes and placed. They got up and started to walk around in the sewers again.

"We're way beyond half a mile. There's no collapse, nothing." Solomon pointed out.

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?"

"I guessed it from the start" Rita explained. "Something wasn't right but I needed to be sure, and I am"

"So why'd he want people to come down here?" Frank asked.

"Solomon, I think it's time you took these two back. Me and the Stone will be much quicker on our own." The Doctor said remembering how much she had argued about staying with Brannigan and Valerie in New New York and knew that she would only argue even more now.

They shot their heads in multiple directions hearing what sounded very much like a pig squealing.

"What the hell was that?" Solomon asked.

"Hello?" Frank slightly moved forward.

"Shush." Martha tried to hush them, the Doctor and Rita slowly started to move forward. The Doctor held out his hand to keep the brunette behind him.

"Frank." Solomon warned seeing how much he was edging forward now.

"What if it's one of the folk gone missing? You'd be scared and half mad down here on your own."

"Do you think they're still alive?" The Doctor asked.

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost."

"He does has a point." Rita noted. "There has been no bodys." She said before there were now multiple other squeals.

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that." Solomon informed them.

"Where's it coming from? Sounds like there's more than one of them." Frank said his eyes darting around the cold damp sewer trying to figure out or see the direction.

"This way." The Doctor started to move but Solomon pointed his torch light in another direction. "No, that way."

"Doctor?" Martha looked at him a little worried seeing he was slowly walking towards the figure. "Stone?" She then said seeing she was indeed following the Doctor.

"Who are you?" Solomon asked shining his light at it.

"Are you lost? Can you understand me? I've been thinking about folk lost down-"

"It's okay, Frank. Me and the Doctor will have a look, if he even lets me that is." Rita muttered.

The Doctor ignored the brunettes comment and continued inching forward. "He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. We know the way out. Daylight. If you come with us." He then got close enough to see it was a pig that looked like a man.

"Oh, but what are you?" The Doctor asked crouching down beside the pigman.

"Is that, er, some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon asked.

"I wish" Rita muttered. "This is real."

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said calmly to the pigman laying against the wall on the floor. "Now listen to me. I promise I can help. Who did this to you?"

"Doctor? Stone?" Martha shakily said to them seeing the shadows on the wall and not liking what she was thinking. "I think you'd better get back here." Martha then shouted their names seeing more of the pigmen at the tunnel.

"Actually, good point." He backed up taking Rita's hand firmly in his grip.

"They're following you." Martha pointed out keeping her eyes on the pigmen.

"Yeah, I noticed that, thanks. Well then, Stone, Martha, Frank, Solomon."

"What?" Martha asked.

"Eh? Er, basically," he muttered looking between them and the pigmen.

"Run!" Rita screamed, the four of them spun round and ran down one of the tunnels with the pigmen squealing in a chase behind them.

"Where are we going?" Martha shouted following the Doctor and Rita.

"This way!" He shouted pulling Rita along. He then skidded to a stop and ran back turning and going down one of the tunnels.

"Ladder! Always loved a ladder!" Rita shouted pulling her sonic out of her pocket and climbing. She then quickly soniced the cover and pushed it aside then climbed up followed by the Doctor and Martha.

"Frank! Frank!" Solomon shouted, Rita and the Doctor both looked down to see Frank who had grabbed a rode and was using it to try and keep the pigmen back.

"C'mon, Frank! C'mon!" Solomon shouted, Frank then threw down the rode and started to climb, they grabbed his legs pulling him to a hault, the doctor Solomon and Rita grabbed Franks hand screaming for him to try and break free from the pigmen.

"I've got you. C'mon! Come on!" The Doctor shouted pulling on Franks arm.

Solomon screamed as Frank was torn away from their grip being pulled into the sewers. "Frank!"

"No!" The Time Lords screamed trying to climb back down, Solomon shoved them aside and forced the cover back on then locked it shut panting and breathing.

"We can't go after him." Solomon told them breathing deeply.

"We've got to go back down. We can't just leave him." The Doctor shouted moving to the cover again. Solomon stood in the way and pointed at the Doctor.

"No, I'm not losing anybody else. Those creatures were from Hell. From Hell itself! If we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

"Doctor" Rita quietly muttered noticing a woman step out holding a gun pointing it at the four of them.

"All right, then. Put them up. Hands in the air and no funny business." The Doctor slowly raised his hands and gently pushed Rita behind him holding one hand behind his back for a moment before raising it back up. "Now tell me, you schmucks, what have you done with Laszlo?" She demanded cocking the revolver in her hand.

"Who's Laszlo?" Martha asked.

"Laszlo's my boyfriend." The woman explained sitting in her dressing room waving aroud the gun. The four stood in the doorway, the Doctor still standing in front of Rita who continulously sent him a glare. "Or was my boyfriend until he disappeared two weeks ago. No letter, no goodbye, no nothing. And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are just pigs but not my Laszlo. I mean, what kind of guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

"Yeah. It might, might just help if you put that down." The Doctor gestured to the gun.

"Huh? Oh, sure." The woman then chucked it down and the Doctor flinched a little. "Oh, come on. It's not real. It's just a prop. It was either that or a spear."

"What do you think happened to Lazlo?" Martha asked lowering her hands.

"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip. Vanished."

"Listen, ah—what's your name?" The Doctor asked.

"Tallulah."

"Tallulah." he nodded repeating her.

"Three Ls and an H."

"Right. We can try to find Laszlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night." The Doctor explained.

"And there are creatures. Such creatures."

"What do you mean, creatures?" Tallulah asked with curiosity.

"Look, listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is." He brought out the green jellyfish-like creature from before.

"Because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

"Yuck." Tallulah's face turned to disgust looking at the creature in his hand.

"We better start looking then" Rita patted the Doctors arm and began to search around for parts to use.

After collecting a few items Solomon walked up to them both holding a radio out. OLOMON: How about this? I found it backstage.

"Perfect. It's the capacitors we need. I'm just rigging up a crude little DNA scan for this beastie. If I can get a chromosomal reading, we can find out where it's from." He explained then looked at Rita who nodded.

"How about you two, Doctor? Stone? Where are you from? I've been all over. I never heard anybody talk like you two do. Just exactly who are you?"

"Oh, we're just sort of passing by."

"I'm not a fool, Doctor." Solomon looked at them both.

"Solomon if we told you it would make us look madder than he already is" She looked over at the Doctor. "And me as mad as he is now." Solomon looked at them both again, he then nodded and headed over to the sewer entrance they had used to escape before. Solomon sighed and looked at it, staring while talking, "I was so scared, Doctor. I let them take Frank because I was just so scared." He looked up at them both shifting his gaze away from the cover, the terror clearly in his eyes. "I got to get back to Hooverville. With these creatures on the loose, we got to protect ourselves. Ain't no one else going to help us."

"We wish you good luck Solomon." Rita told him nodding her head in understanding.

"I hope you both find what you're looking for, for all our sakes."

"So do we" Rita quietly muttered as he walked away.

"Come on Rita we need to find out what it is." He quietly told her, she nodded in agreement and followed bringing the items with her.

They walked onto the balcony abouve the stage and the Doctor started to set up the equipment as Rita helped. "I'm going to go and check on Martha, not knowing what that is and knowing she isn't here is worrying me." She admitted, the Doctor looked up from the wires and looking into her eyes clearly seeing the worry.

"I know Rita, it worries me as well." He admitted to her. "I'll be here" She nodded and walked off to find Martha just to keep herself sane knowing that her friend was okay.


	14. Daleks in Manhatten - Two

"Oh, sure you are. I've seen the way you look at him. It's obvious." Rita raised a brow hearing Tallulah. words, she knocked on the open door of the dressing room.

"Am I interrupting?" She asked.

"Oh not at all" Tallulah smiled. "We were just talking about Martha"

"Not to him," Martha muttered to Tallulah and Rita smirked knowing what they were discussing. "I thought you said you're only interested in..."

"I think that's enough Stone" Martha cut her off standing up with her eyes widened.

"Sorry, sorry" Rita chuckled. "Can't help myself sometimes."

"Oh, I should have realised. He's into musical theatre, huh?" Tallulah continued the conversation. "What a waste. Still, you got to live in hope. It's the only thing that's kept me going because, well, look. On my dressing table every day still." She moved her gaze over to the white rose lying there.

"You think it's Laszlo?" Martha asked.

"I don't know. If he's still around, why is he being all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?"

"We may never know" Rita mumbled.

"What about you then?" Tallulah asked. "Do you have anyone?"

"Me?" Rita frowned. "No"

"You have the Doctor" Martha added raising her brows.

"Martha he's my best friend" Rita laughed, Martha however just raised her brows even further. "Oh come on don't tell me you too." She groaned. "I'm not dealing with this at the moment there are bigger things to worry about" She rolled her eyes, left the room and headed back to the Doctor.

"Oh, she definitely does doesn't she?" Tallulah whispered to Martha.

"And she doesn't even know it" Martha whispered back watching Rita head down the corridor.

"Found anything?" Rita walked beside the Doctor and crouched down watching what he was doing with a scanner and the jellyfish-like blob.

"No, but this is artificial." He informed her checking his scanner, he stood up and switched on a stage light pointing it at the blob then returned next to Rita.

He brought out his glasses then placed them on as Rita rolled her eyes at him. "I may never find out why you even wear those." he looked over at her for a moment smirking.

"You're probably right there, didn't you wear glasses once?"

"That was when I was stuck with bad eyesight, this is different" She pointed at him inches from touching his glasses.

"But you still wore them" He lightly pushed her finger out of the way continuing to smirk at her.

"I'm not even going to say anything else about that, you get distracted too easily." She shook her head. "We also have bigger things we need to worry about." She gestured to the blob. The Doctor nodded in agreement and brought out a stethoscope from his pocket and listened to the blob while looking at the scanner. They heard the show below began and continued to work blocking it out of their minds.

"Fundamental DNA type four six seven dash nine eight nine." Rita's eyes widened and she snapped her head to the scanner and moved it to face her. She stood up slowly walking back and shook her head. "Rita?" The Doctor looked up at her, she gave no reply and he stood up himself. "Rita, what's wrong?"

"The scanner" She stuttered her words. "Not now, please not now" The Doctor slowly moved up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders looking into her eyes.

"Rita... what's wrong" He asked her trying to stay calm. Seeing the panic in her eyes.

"Doctor look at its planet of origin" Her hands began to shake. "They will never stop."

"What won't?" He asked too busy to worry about her than to look at the scanner.

"I knew I saw it before." She shook her head desperately trying to stop shaking. "Doctor, it's from Skaro" She swallowed and his eyes widened. He quickly pulled her to his chest and gently stroked her hair not even wanting the Daleks on the same planet as her. It was one of the things she had told him only the day before, how she remembered the Daleks and what they did to her and how bad it was, they took her family, her home, everything and left her with nothing. Forced her through one world to another confused and scared as a human because they couldn't get it right. She didn't remember any of it, not even at Canary Wharf, she was too busy trying to remember that she had forgotten what they did but now she remembered.

"It will be okay" he whispered continuing to stroke her head in an attempt to calm her. "I promise you."

"What they might do to my friends," She told him sighing and closing her eyes trying to calm herself.

A moment later her eyes snapped open at the terrorising scream of Martha. The Doctor and Rita shot up not realising that they were sat on the floor. He took the brunette's hand and they ran in the direction of her. They ran past the girls from the show and headed for the sewers.

"Martha!" The Doctor shouted letting go of Rita and running ahead, he stopped at the sewer entrance.

"It hasn't been placed back properly." Rita noticed. "I'm coming with you," She told the Doctor as he placed his coat on. "Knowing their there and Martha could be too I'm not saying here"

"If you come with me I may not be able to keep both of you safe," He told her gripping hold of her shoulders.

"If I stay here I won't know if either of you is safe," She told him looking into his brown eyes showing she was very serious. "Doctor I am scared, terrified but I'm more scared for her than I am myself."

"Okay", He sighed. "Come on then" He moved the cover and went to head down.

"Where are you going?" Tallulah asked them running in.

"They've taken her." The Doctor simply told Tallulah as he started to climb down.

"Who's taken her? What're you doing?" She asked them again, they both ignored her as Rita headed down.

"I said, what the hell are you doing?" Tallulah shouted down to the sewers, they ignored her yet again and the Doctor pulled out two torches handing one to Rita.

"No, no, no, no, no way. You're not coming." The Doctor said as Tallulah climbed down the ladder.

"Tell me what's going on." She demanded.

"There's nothing you can do. Go back."

"Look, whoever's taken Martha, they could've taken Laszlo, couldn't they?" She suggested.

"Tallulah, you're not safe down here."

"Neither is she" Tallulah pointed at Rita.

"She's safer with me than on her own, now head back, you're not safe down here." He demanded.

"Then that's my problem." She hissed at him. "Come on. Which way?" She asked starting to head down a tunnel, Rita rolled her eyes and headed in a different direction.

"Not that way Tallulah," She said over her shoulder. They walked on and Rita sighed, she continuously thought, hoping that it wasn't what the scanner had told them, hoping that it wasn't her worst nightmare.

"When you say, they've taken her, who's they exactly?" Tallulah asked. "And who are you two anyway? I never asked."

Rita stopped holding up her hand. "Shush, Doctor do you hear that?" She whispered.

"Okay, okay." Tallulah held her hands up. The brunette's eyes widened in horror knowing that sound too well, the shadow cast on the wall confirmed it. The Doctor grabbed Rita's hand firmly holding tight while placing his hand over Tallulah's mouth dragging them into a service alcove as a Dalek slowly made it's way past not noticing them. The Doctor could feel the shaking of the brunette next to him and repeatedly rubbed his thumb over her knuckles trying to calm her down.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." He whispered letting go of Tallulah. "They survived. They always survive while I lose everything."

Rita looked up at him saddened swallowing thickly. "I'm still here" She whispered to him.

"That's what I'm afraid of." He closed his eyes sighing. "If they take you, I- I'll then be alone"

Tallulah stepped out into the sewer tunnel. "That metal thing? What was it?"

"One of the deadliest and terrifying things in the universe, it's called a Dalek" Rita spat. "It may just look metal but that is alive."

"You're kidding me."

"Does it look like she's kidding?" The Doctor shot daggers at Tallulah with his eyes. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."

"But if it's not a human being, that kind of implies it's from outer space. Yet again, that's a no with the kidding. Boy. Well, what's it doing here, in New York?"

The Doctor grabbed Tallulah's arm dragging her and keeping a tight grip on Rita's hand. "Every second you're down here, you're both in danger. I'm taking you back right now," he told them deciding that Rita wasn't even safe with him now. Rita opened her mouth to protest but stopped when Tallulah screamed, the pigman she had noticed then tried to hide.

The Doctor let go of them both and walked over to it. "Where's Martha? What have you done with her? What have you done with Martha?" He asked.

"I didn't take her." The Pigman said hiding against the wall his back to Tallulah.

"Can you remember your name?" He asked.

"Don't look at me."

Tallulah then stepped forward and softly spoke. "Do you know where she is?"

The pigman's hand shot out behind warning Tallulah, Rita had an idea of who it might exactly be. "Stay back! Don't look at me," he ordered her.

"What happened to you?"The Doctor asked stepping closer to the pigman.

"They made me a monster."

"Who did?"

"The masters."

"The Daleks." Rita spat correcting him. "Why?"

The Pigman then explained continuing to face the wall. "They needed slaves. They needed slaves to steal more people so they created us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late."

"Do you know what happened to Martha?" The Doctor asked.

"They took her. It's my fault. She was following me."

"Were you in the theatre?" Tallulah asked confused.

"I never. Yes." He admitted.

"Why? Why were you there?" She questioned him.

"I never wanted you to see me like this."

"Why me? What I got to do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?" The Pigman slowly turned around and faces Tallulah. "Yes." He answered her second question.

"Who are you?" Tallulah stepped forward moving closer.

"I was lonely."

"Who are you?" She repeated.

"I needed to see you." The Doctor swallowed knowing what he meant, his eyes drifted over to the brunette who was standing on the other side of the tunnel watching the two and he sighed knowing fully well what was happening.

"Who are you?" Tallulah asked again.

"I'm sorry." The Pigman walked away, Tallulah held her arm out and grabbed the pigman's forcing him to stop in his tracks. "No, wait. Let me look at you." She moved him slightly into the light and gave a small gasp when she realised who it was. "Laszlo? My Laszlo?" She moved her hands to behind his neck. "Oh, what have they done to you?"

"I'm sorry. So sorry." He said shaking his head ashamed of what happened.

"Laszlo, can you show me where they are?" The Doctor softly asked.

"They'll kill you," Laszlo told the Doctor.

"If we don't stop them, they'll kill everyone," Rita told Laszlo sadly. He nodded at the brunette and gestured for them to follow.

"Then follow me."

They followed Laszlo until they heard the screams of a Dalek causing Rita to tense, the Doctor squeezed her hand in comfort and she nodded to him signalling that she was okay. "Silence. Silence!" The Dalek screamed.

"What the hell is that?" Martha cried.

"You will form a line. Move. Move." The Dalek at the front ordered. The Doctor and Rita watched from the tunnel junction carefully making sure not to be spotted.

"Just do what it says, everyone, okay? Just obey."

 _"Clever Martha"_

 _"You did say she was good"_ The Doctor smiled at the brunette.

"The female is wise! Obey!" The Dalek shouted.

Another Dalek then came up behind. "Report!"

"These are strong specimens! They will help the Dalek cause!"

Martha frowned hearing that word before. "Dalek?"

"What is the status of the Final Experiment!" It stated.

 _"Final experiment?"_ Rita frowned looking at the Doctor. _"I don't like the sound of that at all"_

 _"You tend to not like anything coming from a screaming Dalek"_ He smirked.

They saw the Daleks were doing an intelligence scan on the people lined up, the Time Lords looked at Laszlo to explain what is happening. "They're divided into two groups." He explained quietly. "High intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."

"Well, that's not fair," Tallulah spoke a little louder than she should. Rita glared at the woman and signalled for her to be quiet. She then gave an apologetic look and spoke in a whisper. "You're the smartest guy I ever dated."

"What about the 'high intelligence'?" Rita quoted the Dalek.

"They're taken to the laboratory." Laszlo flatly told them.

"Why? What for?" The Doctor questioned.

"I don't know. The masters only call it the Final Experiment." Rita shivered wishing he would stop calling the Daleks 'masters'. It didn't give her fond memories.

"You can't just experiment on people. It's insane! It's inhuman!" They heard Martha screaming, Rita squeezed her eyes shut wishing for the woman to not argue with the Daleks because it only ended in one thing. Death.

"We are not human." The Dalek stated rolling away. "Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory." The Doctor looked round the corner then moved back. "Look out, they're moving!" Laszlo then led Tallulah away and the Doctor looked at Rita pleading for her to go. She shook her head at him then took his hand. Sighing he tightened his grip on her slightly.

Laszlo looked around and noticed the two still standing beside the junction. "Doctor. Doctor, quickly!" He begged them to follow.

"We're not coming. I've got an idea. You go." He ordered for them to go and sighed looking at the brunette beside him.

"Laszlo, come on." Tallulah pleaded pulling on his arm to follow. He looked at her. "Can you remember the way?"

"Yeah, I think so." She replied nodding.

He then pushed her away nodding. "Then go, please."

"But Laszlo, you got to come with me." She pulled on his arm again.

"Where would I go? Tallulah, I'm begging you. Save yourself. Just run. Just go. Go." Rita looked on sadly as Tallulah left, the Doctor watched the Daleks move past and then slipped in the line with Rita just behind Martha and between Frank.

"Just keep walking." He whispered to Martha.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see the two of you." Martha breathed.

"Yeah, well, you can kiss me later. You too, Frank, if you want." The Doctor whispered.

"I would be careful on who takes up that offer Doctor" Rita warned quietly chuckling under her breath. The Doctors eyes widened slightly realising who she was talking about and gave out grumble. _"Careful she might."_

 _"Sometimes I really hate you"_

 _"Love you too sweetheart"_ She joked smirking.

 _"Oh, so it's sweetheart now?"_ He raised a brow jokingly.

 _"Shut up and keep walking."_ She rolled her eyes at him now grumbling herself.

They continued following and arrived at a sort of laboratory filled will different items no doubt to help the Daleks take over and destroy everything human. They stopped in the middle and the two Daleks who lead the prisoners joined with the other two. _"The Cult of Skaro. They all survived"_ Rita gasped to the Doctor.

"Report." One of them demanded.

"Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution." One of the Daleks stated. The Doctor looked over and clearly, could see that Dalek Sec had smoke exiting his black metal shell.

"Scan him. Prepare for birth." Another Dalek ordered.

"Evolution?" The Doctor questioned.

"What's wrong with old Charlie boy over there?" Martha whispered to the Doctor and Rita.

"Martha ask them" Rita whispered back.

"What, me? Don't be daft." Martha whispered her voice cracking out of terror.

"We don't exactly want to get noticed. Ask them what's going on." The Doctor told her then stepped back with Rita.

Martha shakily stepped forward slightly. "Daleks, I demand to be told. What is this Final Experiment?" She asked shaking with panic of what would happen on her face. "Report!" She added.

A Dalek turned round and came towards her, the Doctor and Rita watched cautiously from the side.

"You will bear witness."

"To what?"

"This is the dawn of a new age." The Dalek stated.

"What does that mean?" Martha pressed on.

"We are the only four Daleks in existence, so the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The Children of Skaro must walk again."

 _"Outside the shell? What does that- oh my god"_ Rita's eyes widened as Dalek Sec's shell stopped smoking and the eye stalk light went out. His casting then opened and a human-like figure stepped out. Straightening up and twitching its fingers the Time Lords could clearly see that it had one eye and it's head looked very much like the jellyfish blob did.

"What is it?" Martha asked in horror.

The creature stepped forward took in a deep breath then spoke proudly. "I am a human Dalek. I am your future."


	15. Evolution of the Daleks

"These humans will become like me. Prepare them for hybridisation." Sec ordered.

 _"Come on Rita time for us to say hello to the human Dalek"_ he raised his brows and quietly walking away, Rita followed and they both hid behind some equipment in the laboratory.

"Leave me alone! Don't you dare!" They heard the cries of Martha as the pigmen grabbed her and the other humans to be taken away.

The Doctor tuned in a radio he had found which then began to play 'Happy Days are Here Again'

"What is that sound?" Sec demanded.

"Ah, well, now, that would be us." The Doctor popped out from behind the equipment and placed the radio down by a Bunsen burner. He and Rita then walked up to Sec.

"Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera." The Doctor waved.

"Dalek Sec, not so Dalek anymore I see" Rita looked up and down at the creature in front of her.

"Doctor. Stone" Sec identified them.

"The enemies of the Daleks." A Dalek shouted.

"Exterminate!" Another cried.

Sec then held up his arm in protest and shouted at them all. "Wait!"

"Well, then. A new form of Dalek. Fascinating and very clever." The Doctor noted looking slightly surprised at what he had just heard.

"Yes, I agree" Rita hummed. "Interesting"

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter," Sec told them both.

"You did have it coming, trying to take the Earth and all." Rita reminded them

"How did you end up in 1930?" The Doctor asked looking around at the other three Daleks.

"Emergency temporal shift."

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, huh?" The Doctor laughed at them. "Four Daleks could have conquered the world, but instead you're skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting. All of which results in you." He landed his gaze on Dalek Sec after looking around the Laboratory.

"I have to say though, you have done well for yourself. Oh, I would be proud, if you weren't Pepper pots" Rita hissed at them looking in one of the Daleks eye stalks.

"I am Dalek in human form." Sec told them diverting Rita's attention off of what was lying on the tables.

"What does it feel like? You can talk to us, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it? That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell us what you're thinking right now." He asked leaning closer to him.

"I feel humanity." Sec answered then turned away from the Time Lords.

"Good. That's good."

"But what _do_ you feel?" Rita pressed on.

"I feel everything we wanted from mankind, which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such a genius for war."

"Oh I'm disappointed now, that's definitely something I feel against you pepper pots, Dalek Sec you could be so much more, but here you are feeling exactly the same as you did in that metal shell, but this time you have it mixed up with humanity because you are so far off from humanity." She finished waving her hands about.

"And that's _not_ what humanity means." The Doctor added.

"I think it does. At heart, this species is so very Dalek." Sec protested against them.

"All right, so what have you achieved then, with this Final Experiment, eh? Nothing! Because I can show you what you're missing with this thing." He pointed at what he brought in earlier. "A simple little radio."

"What is the purpose of that device?" A Dalek demanded to know.

"Well, exactly. It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it." He said in a Daleks eye stalk.

"That is unless you're a Dalek of course," Rita added.

"Then it's all just noise." The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the little radio which then emitted a shriek which caused Sec, the Daleks and pigmen pain. "Run!" He shouted to them all took Rita's hand and then ran out with the other prisoners

"Protect the hybrid!" A Dalek screeched.

"Protect. Protect. Protect." The other two screamed as the Doctor, Rita, Martha and the prisoners ran back to the tunnels.

They sprinted through running as fast as possible. "Come on! Move, move, move, move, move!" The Doctor shouted to all of them. They then saw Tallulah standing there confused.

"Tallulah!" Rita shouted. "Come on!"

"What's happened to Laszlo?" She cried out as Martha dragged her away. The Doctor with Rita then lead everyone to a ladder. "Stone go!" He ordered as she stood behind.

"Not until I see you behind me, Doctor!" She shouted as everyone climbed up the ladder

After everyone climbed up so did Rita and the Doctor. Rita pushed the cover back on and gave it a quick sonic to lock after breathing deeply.

"You okay?" The Doctor gave her a quick hug and she nodded.

"I'm fine" she smiled at him. "Hooverville is going to get attacked and we have to get back. The Daleks will be looking for us." She told the Doctor who nodded and they began to head back with the escaped prisoners. "Martha are you okay?" Rita walked up to the woman who looked very scared and afraid as they trudged back to Hooverville.

"How do you two stay so calm?" She blurted out quietly to Rita and then looked over to the Doctor not listing in front.

"That's the thing" Rita sighed. "We don't stay calm." Martha looked at the Time Lady confused, trying to understand what she meant. "I'm going to tell you something, something only the Doctor knows. You _cannot_ tell a soul Martha" she said quietly. Martha nodded her face blank yet showing trust. "A few days before the city I lived in fell and the war ended my parents died." Martha's face fell hearing the hurt in the Time Lady's voice. "And I watched them die. The screams, sometimes I still hear their painful agonising screams begging to be spared. I didn't agree with everything they said, my parents, but hearing those screams changed something. It changed a lot, he taught me a lot" her gaze shifted over to the Doctor walking in front oblivious to the two's conversation. "We're not 'calm', at least I'm not because I'm terrified and every time I step in front of a Dalek my hearts feel like they will explode with so much pain and hatred, but then I remember what happened to my planet. If I don't stop them then who else will?" She rhetorically asked. "The Doctor could easily, but sometimes he can't do it alone no matter how much he thinks he can, he can't." She sighed finishing. "I'm not calm Martha I just do a bloody good job of looking like I am." Martha gave out a small watery laugh. Not even realising that her eyes were glassy with tears forming in her eyes. "Oh, Martha" Rita gave her a hug as they walked into Hooverville. Martha then wiped her eyes and gave another small smile to the Time Lady while they both with the Doctor tried to find Solomon to explain what was going on.

"These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they want to breed?" Solomon asked after the Doctor and Rita explained everything to him.

"They're splicing themselves onto human bodies, and if we're right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. You've got to get everyone out." The Doctor told him.

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go." Solomon shook his head at them.

"I'm sorry, Solomon." The Doctor looked at him pleading. "You've got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state. Just get out of New York."

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things." Solomon protested.

"There's not a chance," Martha explained and Frank backed her up. "You ain't seen them, boss."

"Daleks are bad enough at any time, but right now they're vulnerable. That makes them more dangerous than ever." The Doctor looked at Rita who nodded in agreement with what he was saying. They shot their heads in the direction of a whistle being blown and heard a man shouting: "They're coming! They're coming!"

"A sentry. He must have seen something." Solomon guessed.

"They're here! I've seen them! Monsters! They're monsters!"

"It's already started," Rita muttered looking at the Doctor.

"We're under attack! Everyone to arms!" Solomon then ran around shouting at his men who ran and grabbed rifles.

"I'm ready, boss, but all of you, find a weapon! Use anything." Frank shouted. Most people ran back to the now huddled group, however, some of those ran away in hope of escaping.

"Come back!" Solomon shouted. "We've got to stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!"

"We need to get out of the park." Martha cried as she saw pigmen run into the area and start to grab people who were stray from the group.

"Oh, Martha" Rita gave her a hug. "They're on all sides and are driving everyone back towards us."

"We're trapped." Tallulah cried. The Doctor moved slightly and grasped hold of Rita's hand while standing beside Martha

"Then we stand together. Gather round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together." Solomon ordered and the huddled group then formed a circle facing outwards. "They can't take all of us."

"If we can just hold them off till daylight." Martha suggested.

"Martha, they're just the foot soldiers." The Doctor looked up. A Dalek flew across the sky heading towards the group.

"Oh, my God." Martha gasped.

"Pepperpots." Rita gritted her teeth.

"What in this world is..." Solomon looked at the Dalek.

A man then shouted. "It's the devil. A devil in the sky. God save us all. It's damnation."

Frank pointed his gun up. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" He shouted and fired his shotgun on it. The Doctor and Rita jumped forward hitting his gun down.

"That's not going to work."

"I should know" Rita gritted her teeth staring up at it no longer feeling that scared with it turning into anger. Anger for everything every bloody Dalek had done.

"There's more than one of them." Martha gasped noticing another Dalek fly up next to the other. They then start to fire their weapons blowing up tents and creating mass fires

"The humans will surrender." A Dalek ordered after they had finished firing.

"Leave them alone. They've done nothing to you!" The Doctor stepped forward shouting at the Daleks.

"Doctor!" Rita shouted running forward and standing beside him. "Pepperpots" she looked up hissing at the Daleks. "You don't like it when I call you that do you?" She asked. "Leave them alone then!" She shouted her eyes burning with rage. The Doctor looked at her for a moment and slightly stepped away knowing how angry she could get. Honestly with how angry she could be 'the oncoming storm' made the Doctor look like a minor storm compared to a hurricane.

Solomon then stepped forward himself and the Doctor warned him to step back: "No, Solomon. Stay back. Stone move back."

"I'm going nowhere." Rita told the Doctor not looking away from the deadly stare she was giving the Daleks.

Solomon continued to ignore the Doctor and stepped forward even more. "I'm told that I'm addressing the Daleks. Is that right?" He paused for a moment then continued. "From what I hear, you're outcasts too."

"Solomon, don't!" The Doctor warned.

"Solomon I would get back. You have no idea what you're dealing with." Rita warned her eyes still locked on the Daleks above.

"Doctor, Stone this is my township you will respect my authority. Just let me try. Daleks, ain't we all the same underneath, ain't we all kin?" He asked and slowly lowered his rifle while raising his hands. Right. See, I've just discovered this past day, God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh yeah, terrifies me right down to the bone. But surely it's got to give me hope." He then swallowed. "Hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So, I beg you now, if you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well? What do you say?" He asked. There was a moment silence before the word the Daleks love to say a little too much screamed.

"Exterminate!" It shot at Solomon and a burst of green energy hit him as he cried out in pain then dropped to the ground dead.

"No! Solomon!" Frank cried running over to him.

"They killed him. They just shot him on the spot." Martha cried out not believing what she had seen.

"Daleks!" The Doctor shouted. "All right, so it's my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!" He started to hit himself on the chest. Rita's eyes widened and she flinched seeing him like this demanding to be killed.

"I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy."

"No! Doctor!" Rita shouted. "If you kill him then you kill me as well!" She shouted. The Doctor turned to her then looked over at Frank who got the message and pulled the Time Lady away. "No!" She cried out trying to fight him off. "Doctor!"

"Then do it!" The Doctor continued shouting at the Dalek again. "Do it! Just do it! Do it!"

The Stone closed her eyes and looked away. A tear slipping down her cheek. "Extermin-" it then stopped, Rita, blinked tears now streaming down her face. The Doctor also opened his eyes confused as to what was going on. "I do not understand... It is the Doctor." The Dalek said. "The urge to kill is too strong." Rita looked between the Doctor and the Dalek. "I- obey."

"What's going on?" The Doctor shouted. Rita then took the opportunity to run up to the Doctor tightening him into a hug after escaping Franks grip. _"Theta."_ she squeezed her eyes shut tightening her grip on his coat. He wrapped his arm around her in comfort as more tears escaped her eyes as he stared up at the Dalek. _"When this is all over I am_ _so_ _going to kill you"_

"You and the Stone will follow." The Dalek stated.

Martha ran forward in protest. "No! You can't go." She shouted.

"We've got to go." He looked down at Rita, he couldn't leave her here alone knowing that the Daleks could get her at any moment. "The Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks never change their minds." He told her his arm still wrapped around Rita, her head on his shoulder tears still slowly leaving her eyes.

"But what about us?" Martha asked. The Doctor turned and saw the terrified look on all of the human's faces. He then turned back to the Dalek and shouted.

"One condition! If we come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me!" He shouted then felt Rita flinch no doubt being reminded of what just happened. _"Rita I'm fine"_ he promised her. _"I'm here, I'm alive"_

 _"For now, until you go and be an idiot and demand to be killed again."_ She coldly snapped at him yet still held on to his coat with her head on his shoulder.

 _"Stone, I'm sorry"_

After a moment the Dalek then replied. "Humans will be spared. Doctor, Stone follow."

"Then I'm coming with you two." Martha stepped forward again.

"Martha no" Rita looked back. She noticed the woman swallow, most likely at the complete state she was in, Rita didn't want to be the last one, she didn't want him to be the last either. "You can help the people Martha, he may be the Doctor but you are _a_ Doctor... sort of."

"Let us go. Oh, and can I just say, thank you very much." He then took her hand in his and winked at her then took Rita's hand and left with the Daleks. Martha looked down discreetly and noticed the psychic paper was in her hand.

They walked for a while until the Doctor telepathically spoke with the brunette seeing how distant she was being. _"Rita I said I am sorry"_

 _"Sometimes sorry isn't good enough!"_ She snapped narrowing her eyes at him. _"They were going to kill you! You wanted them to kill you!"_ She sighed a tear escaping her eye again. _"I can't be the last, I don't want to be the last because I will be on my own. And I don't want to be."_

 _"Rita you won't be alone, you have the TARDIS and Martha-"_

 _"But who else is there?"_ She asked cutting him off. _"Whole universe and whose the only friend who actually understands me? You, apart from that I have no one else. You have got to stop because one day they won't and I will be left all alone!"_ He flinched at her words as they walked.

 _"I- I'm sorry"_ he looked down. _"Really sorry"_ he then nudged her a little gaining her attention as she aimlessly walked on she then softly smiled knowing he truly meant it this time, she couldn't stay mad. The one Time Lord who was her best friend, the only one left in the entire universe, she couldn't stay mad at him even if she wanted to. _"I know."_

 _"Thank you."_ he returned the smile and wrapped an arm around her waist Feeling her flinch slightly he went to move away realising what he had done, but then she moved a little closer to him as they walked.

"Those people were defenceless!" The Doctor shouted letting go of Rita and storming up to Sec shouting and hollering at him. "You only wanted us, but no, that wasn't enough for you. You had to start killing because that's the only thing a Dalek's good for."

Sec just looked at him then at the brunette before calmly replying. "The deaths were wrong."

The Time Lords blinked and Rita stepped forward beside the Doctor. "Excuse me?" She looked at him.

"That man, their leader, Solomon. He showed courage." Sec explained.

"And that's good?" The Doctor asked.

"That's excellent."

 _"Okay they are really terrifying me now"_ Rita admitted and the Doctor took her hand.

"Is it me or are you just becoming a little bit more... human?" The Doctor asked Sec.

"You two are the last of your kind, and now I am the first of mine." Sec looked between them both.

"What do you actually want us for?" Rita asked not understanding her part in the situation.

"We tried everything to survive when we found ourselves stranded in this ignorant age. First, we tried growing new Dalek embryos, but their flesh was too weak."

"Yeah, we found one of your experiments. Just left to die out there in the dark."

"That sounds more Dalek-like to me." Rita stared hissing.

"It forced us to conclude what is the greatest resource of this planet. It's people." Sec then threw a breaker switch and lights above the Time Lords turned on showing what looked like human sized tables above, millions.

He then brought down one of the tables for inspection explaining as it lowered.

"We stole them. We stole human beings for our purpose. Look inside." He gestured the Doctor and Rita moved over. Removing his hand from hers the Doctor slowly uncovered the face of what was a man who looked, empty. Cold, pale and empty. "This is the true extent of the Final Experiment," Sec admitted.

"Is he dead?" The Doctor asked the one question on the brunette's mind when she first set eyes on the poor human.

"Near death, with his mind wiped, ready to be filled with new ideas."

"The ideas of the pepper pots" Rita hissed at Sec again.

"The Human Dalek race." Sec corrected her not understanding just like the Doctor where she got 'pepper pots' from. She had never explained it but he knew it was what she called the Daleks. Mostly when she was mocking them.

"All of these people. How many?" The Doctor questioned looking at Sec.

"We have caverns beyond this storing more than a thousand."

"Is there any way to restore them? Make them human again?"

"Everything they were has been lost."

"So they are just empty shells waiting to be filled with hatred." Rita spat.

The Doctor then added on to her comment. "You've got empty human beings ready to be converted. That's going to take a hell of a lot of power. This planet hasn't even split the atom yet. How're you going to do it?" He then asked intrigued by what Sec's response would be.

"Open the conductor plan." He walked over to a screen which lit up. The Doctor and Rita followed interested in the Dalek's plans

The Empire State Building then appeared on the screen "Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Empire State Building. We're right underneath that. We worked that out already, thanks." He nodded over to Rita. "But what, you've hijacked the whole building?"

"We needed an energy conductor."

"What for?" He asked.

"I am the genetic template." He explained and the screen changed to show what looked like human DNA and Dalek DNA beside each other before it broke and the two became one. "My altered DNA was to be administered to each human body. A strong enough blast of gamma radiation can splice the Dalek and human genetic codes, and waken each body from its sleep." The Doctor and Rita frowned.

"Gamma radiation?" Rita looked at him then the screen which changed to show the sun. "You want to use the Earth-sun" Rita nodded.

"Soon the greatest solar flare for a thousand years will hit the Earth. Gamma radiation will be drawn to the energy conductor and when it strikes-"

"The army wakes." He said over Sec. "I still don't know what you need us for."

"Neither do I" Rita admitted.

"Your geniuses. Consider a pure Dalek, intelligent but emotionless." The Doctor and Rita nodded at each other.

"But, if I remember correctly." Rita started to walk around the three Daleks and then stood in front of Sec. "Didn't your all great and mighty creator think that removing emotions made you stronger. That is what your creator said all those years ago. One of the things I remember."

"He was wrong." She looked at him blinking for a moment then frowned as the Doctor spoke up. "He was what?"

"It makes us lesser than our enemies. We must return to the flesh, and also the heart."

"But you wouldn't be the supreme beings anymore." The Doctor told Sec who nodded in understanding.

"And that is good."

"That is incorrect." A Dalek then said.

"Daleks are supreme."

Sec shook his head. "No, not anymore."

"But that is our purpose."

 _"This is certainly interesting to watch. Daleks arguing with their own creation. Guess they didn't look at results for this when experimenting."_ Rita telepathically said to the Doctor who nodded at her agreeing.

"Then our purpose is wrong." Sec interrupted. "Where has our quest for supremacy led us? To this. Hiding in the sewers on a primitive world, just four of us left. If we do not change now then we deserve extinction."

"So you want to change everything that makes a Dalek a Dalek." The Doctor realised

"If the both of you can help me," Sec asked.

 _"Okay did a Dalek just ask for our help?"_

 _"I believe he did Rita."_

 _"The universe still amazes me."_ she hummed.

"Both of your knowledge of genetic engineering is even greater than ours. The new race must be ready by the time the solar flare erupts." Sec continued.

"But you're the template. I thought they were getting a dose of you." The Doctor raised a brow.

"I want to change the gene sequence." Rita's brows raised even further than they already were.

"To make them even more human?" The Doctor guessed.

"Humans are the great survivors. We need that ability."

"Hold on a minute. There's no way this lot are going to let you do it." The Doctor gestured over to the three other Daleks in the room.

"I am their leader," Sec stated.

"And for you, that is good enough, 'I'm the leader they will listen to me no matter what yippee'" she waved her arms and jumped around.

"Daleks must follow orders." A Dalek answered.

"Dalek Sec commands, we obey."

"If you two don't help me, nothing will change."

"There's no room on Earth for another race of people." The Doctor told him.

"You have your TARDIS. Take us across the stars. Find us a new home and allow the new Daleks to start again."

 _"You know, Sec looking less like a pepper pot is more human than I thought, this could actually work"_

 _"Let's not get our hopes up too fast Rita."_

 _"Right, good point"_ she nodded. "Now Sec please do tell me when's that solar flare?" She asked.

"Eleven minutes."

"Right then. Better get to work." The Doctor gestured for Rita who nodded and followed. They began to mix solutions together hoping to give Sec what he wanted for the 'new Daleks'.

"There's no point in chromosomal grafting, it's too erratic." The Doctor explained.

"You have to split the genome and force the Dalek-human sequence right into the cortex," Rita added.

"We need more chromatin solution," Sec stated.

"The pig slaves have it." A Dalek informed and a group of pigmen including Laszlo carried a large crate in.

"These pig slaves, what happens to them in the grand plan?" The Doctor asked.

"Nothing. They're just simple beasts. Their lifespan is limited. None survive beyond a few weeks." Sec explained then ordered. "Power up the line feeds." Rita continued to aid Sec closely watch the conversation the Doctor was having with Laszlo in the process.

"Laszlo, I can't undo what they've done to you, but they won't do it to anyone else." The Doctor promised.

"Do you trust him?" He asked.

"I know that one man can change the course of history. Right idea in the right place at the right time, it's all it takes. The Stone must think it's possible otherwise she wouldn't help. I've got to believe it's possible too." He whispered then nodded to Rita seeing she was listening to them.

"The line feeds are ready." A Dalek stated.

"Then it's all systems go, Stone?"

"Already doing it." she replied moving over to help the Doctor who held a large syringe.

"The solar flare is imminent. The radiation will reach Earth in a matter of minutes." Sec informed them

"We'll be ready for it." The Doctor promised.

The Doctor then filled the syringe as Rita helped then placed it in a brass cylinder. "That compound will allow the gene bonds to reconfigure in a brand new pattern. Brand new Daleks. Never thought I would ever say that." Rita chuckled.

"Power up!" The Doctor shouted and the pigmen threw up the set of breaks.

"Start the line feeds." Said Sec as the blue liquid travelled up the plastic tubes into all of the bodies above.

 _"I hope this works otherwise we're in trouble,"_ Rita told the Doctor.

 _"So do I."_ "There goes the gene solution." He said.

"The lifeblood." Sec watched as it travelled up.

A klaxon then sounded and a red light emitted in the room flashing. "What's that?" The Doctor asked running over to see what was wrong.

"What's happening?" Sec asked looking at the Daleks. "Is there a malfunction? Answer me!" He ordered

"Pepperpots!" Rita shouted running over to the Doctor.

"No, no, no. The gene feed!" He shouted. "They're overriding the gene feed!"

"Impossible. They cannot disobey orders."

"The Doctor and the Stone will step away from the controls." The Daleks turned to them and the Doctor grabbed Rita's hand stepping away with her.

"Stop! You will not fire." Sec shouted trying to order them.

"They are enemies of the Daleks." It screamed.

Another then added: "and so are you." Before pointing its gun at Sec.

"I am your commander. I am Dalek Sec!" He shouted to them.

"You have lost your authority."

"You are no longer a Dalek."

"What have you done with the gene feed?!" The Doctor shouted.

"The new bodies will be one hundred percent Dalek."

"No. You can't do this!" Sec shouted at them.

"Pig slaves, restrain Dalek Sec, the Doctor and Stone." A Dalek ordered. Laszlo grabbed the Doctor as he forced Rita behind him now standing between him and Laszlo.

"Release me. I created you. I am your master." Sec ordered the Daleks.

Another alarm then sounded. "Solar flare approaching." A Dalek shouted.

"Prepare to intercept."

"There's the lift." Laszlo whispered to them both.

"After you." He told Laszlo taking hold of Rita's hand again. The three ran to the lift, the Doctor forced the doors open with his sonic screwdriver and they ran in.

"The Doctor and the Stone are escaping. Stop them! Stop them!" A Dalek screamed, the pigmen then ran after them and Rita used her sonic on the doors which then shut, the then pointed it above and the lift started to travel upwards.

"Have I ever mention how much I love my sonic?" Rita asked twirling it round in her fingers.

"I don't think you have," the Doctor told her. "Anyway, we've only got minutes before the gamma radiation reaches the Earth. We need to get to the top of the building." He explained then noticed Laszlo panting out of breath leaning against the wall. "Laszlo, what's wrong?"

"Out of breath." He panted. "It's nothing. We've escaped them, Doctor. That's all that matters."


	16. Evolution of the Daleks - Two

"Doctor! Stone!" Martha shouted as the lift doors opened.

"First floor, perfumery."

"I never thought I'd see you again." Tallulah cried running over to Laszlo.

"No stopping me." He said breathing quite heavily, tightly hugging Tallulah while the Doctor and Rita ran over to Martha and the drawings for the Empire States Building.

"We've worked it out. We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast."

"Oh, of course, there is." Rita groaned.

"And it's good to see you too, by the way." Martha grinned.

"Oh, come here." The Doctor pulled Martha into a hug while Rita watched with slight amusement. The door then dinged shut and the Time Lords ran over to it.

"No, no, no. See, never waste time with a hug." He told Martha. "Deadlock seal." He then groaned after trying to bring it back. "I can't stop it."

"Sadly neither can I." Rita sighed.

"Where's it going?" Martha asked.

"Right down to the Daleks. And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?" He asked.

"Er, 11:15" Frank replied.

"Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits."

"You mean we." Rita corrected him.

"Gammon radiation? What the heck is that?" Tallulah asked before the Doctor had time to protest over Rita.

Martha pulled them over and they looked at the view. "Oh, that's high. That's very. Blimey, that's high." The Doctor looked out.

"And we've got to go even higher. That's the mast up there, look. There's three pieces of Dalekanium on the base. We've got to get them off." Martha told them after she pointed up the ladder.

"That's not we, that's just me."

"Us" Rita corrected.

"No, Stone you are staying here with Martha. If that Gamma radiation hits-"

"It won't harm me, very much anyways. Doctor three parts, two Time Lords, two sonics, half the work, I am coming." She firmly replied.

"And I won't just stand here and watch you two," Martha added.

"Stone please stay here. Please" he now begged her, his hands on her shoulder looking straight into her eyes. She thought for a moment swallowed then answered nodding.

"Okay, but any issues with it and I am coming straight up there dragging you down and doing it myself" she pointed a finger at him.

"Of course." He gave her a hug, Rita then saw him smirk from her humour and kissed the Doctors cheek. He lightly touched where her lips had been and frowned slightly, she had never done anything like that before, why now?

 _"What was that for?"_

 _"For actually being my best friend for all this time and caring about me."_ She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Well, I'm going" Martha protested. Rita then walked away towards the prints for the building and the Doctor quieted his voice to a whisper so Rita wouldn't hear. "No, you're going to have your hands full anyway. I'm sorry, Martha, but you've got to fight."

The Doctor climbed the ladder heading for the top of the building where the Dalekanium was attached to the mast. Martha and Rita paced around the area thinking. Their heads then snapped to the lift and noticed the dial rising showing that they were coming.

"The lift's coming up." Martha pointed out.

"I should have brought that gun," Frank muttered.

"Guns are never, ever the answer. Trust me I know all too well." Rita replied a little harshly.

"Tallulah, stay back. You too, Martha and you Stone." Laszlo warned them. "If they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill."

"The Doctor needs me to fight. I'm not going anywhere!" Martha shouted.

"Never let him hear you say that. Never let me hear it either for that matter," Rita told Martha.

"They're savages. I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth." Laszlo then went to hold up a hammer, he fell to the floor in pain leaning against the wall.

"Laszlo? What is it?" Tallulah asked running over to him.

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine. Just leave me." He waved her away.

Tallulah reached for his forehead and gave a small cry. "Oh, honey, you're burning up. What's wrong with you? Tell me." She demanded.

"Great. One man down, we ain't even started yet." Frank sighed.

"It's not looking good, Frank." Martha sighed.

"Nope."

"We're going to get slaughtered."

"Don't be like that Martha," Rita told her continuing to pace around. "Now, think, think, think." She started to hit her head. "Okay, bad idea because that actually hurt." She groaned.

"If I wouldn't know any better I think you're turning into him." Martha smugly

"Who?" She continued to rub her head. Her eyes then widened and she started to pace around even faster. "No, no, no." She waved her hands about. "That is a nightmare, even worse than the bloody pepper pots. One of him is bad enough, imagine two! Even worse if he was human! Double if he was part human!" She continued to pace around as Lightning began flashing and the storm began.

"Wait a minute. Lightening." Martha ran to the view.

"Yes, lightning Martha that is what it is called." Rita sarcastically replied. "Wait-" she paused. "Martha you are amazing!" She shouted running up to the woman laughing and shouting. "Come on then help find me anything metal, any and all things metal."

"Aw, you'll be all right, sweetheart." Tallulah cooled to Laszlo stroking his forehead. "Don't you worry." She then looked at the Time Lady and humans. "What the hell are you three clowns doing?"

"That's Time Lady and two humans." Rita corrected helping Martha move metal poles. "I don't see any clowns here."

"Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still going to get hit." Martha explained. "Great big bolt of lightening, electricity all down this building. Connect this to the lift and they get zapped."

"Oh my God, that could work." Tallulah looked at them in amazement.

"Then give us a hand." Frank continued to bring metal poles over leading from the lift to outside lighting conductor.

"Is that going to work?" Tallulah asked placing one of the last pieces of metal down.

"It's got to." Martha huffed placing another.

"I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside."

"Let's just hope it does, if my calculations are correct and normally in desperate situations, they are this should all go according to plan." Rita explained moving over to the middle beside Martha and Tallulah who held on to Laszlo.

"Come here, Frank. Just sit in the middle and don't touch anything metal." Martha gestured him over to join the huddle.

"Yeah." He nodded.

They hastily watched the dial of the lift move up until hitting the top. The lift made a dinging noise and the door opened. There was a bright light and as Rita had said the electricity travelled down the metal and hit the lift, the pigmen screamed in pain and fell to the floor dead.

"You did it, Martha." Tallulah breathed.

"It was the Stone who gave us hope."

Rita froze. "And they all died, they were people, people who had lives and families and friends. Now that's all gone and we took it all away."

"No, the Daleks killed them. Long ago." Laszlo breathed.

"What about the Doctor?" Martha asked.

"Oh, the Doctor is going to hate me for this." She ran a hand through her brown hair then ran to the ladder starting to climb it. "Oh no, " she grabbed his sonic screwdriver and continued to climb shivering in the freezing cold that was even too cold for her. Stopping at the top she noticed him lying still beside the mast.

"Doctor!" Rita shouted quickly but carefully moving over to him. She sighed seeing his eyes slowly open. Sitting beside him she placed a hand through his hair stroking it softly. "You're getting too careless at your old age."

"Doesn't that make you old as well?" He chuckled going to move but then being forced back down by the Time Lady. "Oh, my head" he groaned.

"Yes sweetheart it still is as big as your ego" she chuckled.

"Oh hello." He looked up smiling.

"Hello to you too" she smiled back.

"Hiya" Martha stood over Rita and waved at the Doctor.

"You survived, then." He looked at them both.

"Of course we did." Rita chuckled. "Looks like you did as well, just about."

"Rita saved us," Martha replied. "She's turning into you, started hitting her head." Rita sighed pinching the bridge of her nose while shaking her head.

"Oh did she now?" The Doctor looked at the Time Lady smirking.

"It seems my parents may have been right when they continuously told me that you were a bad influence on me." She smirked back.

"Oh did your mother say that?" He asked.

"Of course she did. They completely hated anything and everything you did, even when it was something I suggested they blamed you."

"I would love to listen to both of your old stories all day but I can't help noticing there's Dalekanium still attached." Martha interrupted the two. Rita sighed as the Doctor jolted up.

"Let me guess you got in the way again. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest." The Doctor sheepishly grinned at her statement, she rolled her eyes and patted his head. "Come on then your head should feel better now."

"Hmm, it does" he hummed looking up a little. Rita frowned then realised what he meant, she slowly removed her hand away from his hair while her face turned a light pink.

"I think you also dropped this." She quickly changed the topic and took his sonic screwdriver out of her pocket and handed it to him. He nodded and slowly stood up.

They returned back down to the work office and the Doctor started to explain. "The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing. They'll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan."

"How do we stop them?" Laszlo asked.

"The Doctor being himself got in the way and the gamma strike went zapping through him first."

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Martha asked Rita.

"We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, we need to face them. Where can we draw them out?" He asked looking at the brunette. "Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way. Tallulah!" He shouted pointing at her.

"That's me. Three Ls and an H." She smiled.

"Oh!" Rita jumped pointing at the Doctor then Tallulah. "That is clever!" She beamed. "You know I have never agreed with a Dalek before and most likely never will again but Sec was correct when saying you are a genius!"

"I don't understand?" Tallulah looked between the Time Lords.

"The theatre!" He shouted. "It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?" He asked her.

"Don't see why not." She shrugged.

"Is there another lift?"

"We came up in the service elevator," Martha told him.

"That'll do. Allons-y!" He shouted.

"Andiamo!" Rita cheered.

"What?" Martha asked.

"It means let's go in Italian." Martha raised her brows at the Time Lady as the Doctor smirked.

"Dear Rassilon, you were right, this is terrifying." The Doctor laughed at her and Rita groaned. "Come on!" She shouted running to the lift Martha had pointed out.

"This should do it. Here we go."

"There ain't nothing more creepy than a theatre in the dark." Tallulah shivered looking around the theatre. "Listen, Doctor, I know you got a thing for show tunes, but there's a time and place, huh?"

Laszlo started to breathe heavily and sat down in one of the chairs.

"Laszlo, what's wrong?" Tallulah sat next to him stroking his head.

"Nothing. It's just so hot." He panted.

"But it's freezing in here. Doctor, Stone what's happening to him?"

"Not now, Tallulah. Sorry." The Doctor said.

"We have to finish this, I promise we will try as soon as this is over. And I never make a promise I can't keep, we will try." Rita told her seriously before moving back over to the Doctor helping him.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked them.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll want to find their number one and two enemies." The Doctor looked at Rita who nodded bringing out her own sonic and held it in the air.

"We're just telling them where we are, come and find us pepper pots!" She laughed. "Pepper pots sometimes are very thick, almost as thick as Judoon." Rita explained. "They will come right here, right where we want them."

"Right where I want them." The Doctor went to correct here, Rita frowned in confusion.

"You two are going back." He told them.

"No way. Doctor if I go back they will just come and find me. I'm staying right here with you."

"I'm also staying." Martha crossed her arms and sat down.

"No." Both of the Time Lords said to her automatically.

"I'm telling the both of you to go. Frank can take you back to Hooverville." The Doctor told them both.

"And I'm telling you I'm not going."

"You have to go, I won't live knowing that they hurt you, Martha," Rita told her.

 _"Theta, before you protect I'm not going and that's it. Don't make me fight with you."_

The Doctor sighed then looked at the brunette shaking his head. "Martha, that's an order." He firmly told her.

"Who are you, then? Some sort of Dalek?" Martha snapped.

"Martha!" Rita shouted. She then snapped her head in the direction of the doors as they were broken down and multiple people on either side marched down the walkway holding what looked like Dalek guns.

"Doctor! Stone!" Tallulah cried. "Oh, my God! Well, I guess that's them then, huh?"

"Humans, with Dalek DNA?" Martha asked.

"It's all right, it's all right. Just stay calm. Don't antagonise them." The Doctor told them.

"But what of the Dalek masters? Where are they?" Laszlo asked.

"The pepper pots are no doubt near, they wouldn't let us near their new creations with us on the lose," Rita told them standing beside the Doctor.

There suddenly was an explosion on stage and the group ducked behind the chairs. The two Daleks then appeared on stage with Sec kneeling with a chain around his neck crawling like a dog.

"The Doctor and the Stone will stand before the Daleks." He worryingly took the brunette's hand which he had fine to be slightly shaking. Giving it a squeeze he stood up with her and walked forward over chairs.

"You will die, Doctor, Stone. It is the beginning of a new age." One of the Daleks stated.

"Planet Earth will become New Skaro." The other said.

"Oh, and what a world. With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That's Dalek Sec. Don't you remember?" The Doctor looked at him. "The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new Empire, hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilisation?" He questioned.

"My Daleks, just understand this," Sec said. "If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you."

"Incorrect. We will always survive." A Dalek screamed.

"Now we will destroy our greatest enemies, the Doctor and the Stone!" It shouted.

"But they can help you!" Sec shouted.

"The Doctor and the Stone must die."

"No, I beg you, don't." Sec cried.

One of the Daleks turned and pointed it's gun at Sec. "Exterminate!" It cried shooting Sec and killing him.

"Your own leader." Rita hissed. "The only creature that might have finally led the Daleks out of darkness, the one who could have helped you, remake the Daleks. But no you go and kill him because that's what you do, what you always have done, because you hate change." She shouted feeling some sympathy for Sec. He tried to actually change the Daleks, change them for the better.

"Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?" The Doctor asked the human Daleks.

"If you pepper pots just want us dead so badly why don't you give the new guys a go?" Rita hissed at them.

"The human Daleks." The Doctor announced.

"Their first blood being the Daleks biggest enemies." Rita encouraged.

"Go on, baptise them." The Doctor also encouraged widening his arms keeping his hand connected with Rita's, she copied doing exactly the same.

"Dalek-humans, take aim." A Dalek ordered, they then pointed their weapons at the Time Lords.

They waited a few moments and the Doctor then shouted. "What are you waiting for? Give the command!"

"Exterminate!" The Dalek ordered. The Doctors body tensed tightly squeezing Rita's hand as she tightly shut her eyes awaiting the pain.

"Exterminate!" It cried again. Rita slowly opened her eyes looking at the Doctor who winked at her, she remembered what he did and what she guessed earlier with him getting in the way.

"Obey. Dalek-humans will obey!" The Dalek screeched.

"They're not firing." Martha pointed out. "What have you done?" She looked at the Time Lords.

"You will obey!" The Dalek cried again. "Exterminate!"

A human Dalek then looked at the screaming Dalek and calmly asked: "Why?"

"Daleks do not question orders." The other stated.

"But why?" The human Dalek questioned again.

"You will stop this!" The Dalek shouted.

"But why?"

"You must not question!" It then screeched.

"But you are not our master. And we, we are not Daleks." The human Dalek flatly told the Daleks.

"No, you're not. And you never will be." The Doctor told them then turned to the Daleks. "Sorry, I got in the way of the lightning strike."

"Sorry I got in the way as well." Rita held up her hand using sarcasm to look apologetic before turning to the Doctor. "Before you went up I kissed your cheek didn't I?" She asked and he nodded. "Time Lord DNA and Time Lady DNA got all mixed up." She grinned as the Doctor started to grin as well understanding what she was talking about she then looked back at the Daleks. "Your buddies have got that little bit of freedom."

"If they will not obey, then they must die." The Dalek shouted and they began to shoot at the Human Daleks.

"Get down!" The Doctor shouted diving off of the chair pulling Rita with him down to the floor.

They all did as told safety hiding behind the theatre chairs as the Daleks and Dalek-humans shot at each other. The Doctor held a hand on Rita's head stroking it, her head on his chest trying to comfort her as they heard the multiple Dalek weapons firing.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Daleks cried.

 _"I know Rita"_ the Doctor whispered telepathically to her as she squeezed her eyes shut. The noises still haunted her hundreds of years later. Still haunting her sleep and nightmares because of what those noises did to her.

"Destroy the hybrids! Destroy!" The Daleks screeched shooting at the human Daleks before one of them were exploded.

"Exterminate!" The other cried before getting exterminated itself.

The Doctor looked up and Rita removed her head from his chest as he poked his head up from the seats then stood up seeing what was the human Daleks destroyed. Rita followed her hand finding the Doctors again as she breathed out a sigh relieved that a lot of the people were alive and none of her friends was hurt.

"It's all right, it's all right, it's all right." The Doctor said to them. "You did it. You're free."

"You survived" Rita breathed. "We all did. The Doctor and I will keep you safe." She looked at him and he nodded in agreement.

They shot their heads back after hearing the high pitched screams and cries of the new species clutching their heads in pain before falling to the floor dead. "No! They can't! They can't!" Rita cried hiding her face in the Doctors chest. "They can't! They can't!" She sobbed.

"What happened? What was that?" Martha asked.

The Doctor coldly replied keeping an arm around Rita while staring at the bodies on the floor. "They killed them, rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide."

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed. One of the Dalek masters must still be alive." Laszlo told him.

"Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one." The Doctor hugged Rita.

 _"I'm coming with you Theta."_ She told him not looking up. _"You know what they did. I do not want to remind you what they did."_ She told him.

 _"I know, I'm not letting you out of my sight until you're safely back on the TARDIS, that Dalek is going to be a savage that will do anything it can, four Daleks that are vulnerable are dangerous. One Dalek in the whole of the universe is too dangerous to just send you away."_

 _"Thank you."_ She hugged him. _"Even if you said no I would have followed you."_

 _"I know you would which is also why I had to agree."_

The Doctor and Rita stood on the other side of the Laboratory hand in hand staring at the last Dalek in the universe. "Now what?" The Doctor asked.

"You will be exterminated." It screamed at them.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah we know that." Rita hissed stepping forward with the Doctor. "But just think about it for a moment Dalek-"

"Dalek what was your name?" The Doctor spoke over her.

"Dalek Caan." He replied.

"Dalek Caan. Your entire species has been wiped out. And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated, leaving only you. Right now you're facing the only two people in the universe who might show you some compassion."

"Because we have just seen one genocide. And we won't cause another." Rita added.

"Caan, let us help you." The Doctor stepped forward. "What do you say?"

"Emergency temporal shift!" It screamed, the cables attached to Dalek Caan detatched. The Time Lords lunged forward to grab the Dalek which disappeared.

"Ugh, I hate those bloody pepper pots." Rita groaned.

"Stone! Doctor!" They spun around to see Martha and Tallulah help a wheezing and struggling Laszlo. "He's sick." She cried.

They set him down. Martha stood beside him while Tallulah sat beside stroking his head.

"It's okay. You're all right." Martha Laszlo then looked up at the Time Lords who slowly walked over. "It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."

"What is it, Doctor? Stone?" Tallulah asked. "What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe? What is it?"

"It's time, sweetheart." Laszlo panted struggling to breathe at all.

"What do you mean, time? What are you talking about?" Tallulah began to cry her voice cracking.

"None of the slaves survive for long. Most of them only live for a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on because I had you. But now, I'm dying, Tallulah." He furiously coughed.

"No, you're not. Not now, after all this. Doctor, Stone, can't you do something?"

"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H, just you watch us." He spun around Rita following him. She threw her jacket off which landed on the floor. "What do we need? Oh, I don't know." She spun around again facing the others, the Doctor grinned at her threw off his own coat standing beside her.

"How about a great big genetic laboratory Stone?" The Doctor asked. "Oh look, we got one."

"Laszlo, you hold on, because I made a promise that I would try, and I am not going to start breaking my promises now!" She shouted.

"There's been too many deaths today." The Doctor added. The two ran to different sides of the room and began to mix different liquids together. Rita pointed her sonic at a bunsen burner which then lit the Doctor doing the same on his side.

"This giving you any memories Doctor?" Rita asked as she continued what she was doing.

"Oh yes!" He shouted over his shoulder to her then turned back to the three on the ground. "Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I'm telling you, I'm telling you right now, I am not having one more death! You got that? Not one."

"And neither am I!" Rita shouted.

"Tallulah, out of the way. The Doctor is in." The Doctor set down the liquids brought his stethoscope out and ran over to Laszlo.

Standing on the outskirts of central park the Doctor, Rita, Martha, Tallulah and Laszlo patiently waiting for Frank to return with the news they were waiting for. Shooting their eyes up, they noticed Frank walking towards them with an unreadable expression on his face. "Well, I talked to them, and I told them what Solomon would've said, and I reckon I shamed one or two of them."

"What did they say?" The Doctor asked.

"They said yes. They'll give you a home, Laszlo. I mean, er, don't imagine people ain't going to stare." Frank told him, Laszlo nodded in response. "I can't promise you'll be at peace but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for. People who ain't got nowhere else."

"Thank you." He said to Frank then looked at the Doctor and Rita. "I can't thank you enough." They smiled as Laszlo and Tallulah hugged.

"Do you reckon it's going to work, those two?" Martha asked looking back at the city, standing just in front of the Statue of Liberty with the Doctor and Rita.

"I don't know. Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York? That's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig slave Dalek mutant hybrid too." They laughed at his last comment.

"The pig and the Showgirl." Martha said laughing.

"The pig and the Showgirl." The Doctor and Rita replied.

"It just proves it, I suppose," Martha said turning around and heading back towards the TARDIS. "There's someone for everyone."

"Maybe." The Doctor muttered quietly shifting his eyes over to Rita who still stood watching the city.

"Maybe not." She quietly replied. The Doctor shifted his gaze down to the ground sighing quietly.

"Meant to say, I'm sorry." Martha interrupted. Rita then turned around and looked at her frowning.

"Why are you sorry?" She asked walking towards the TARDIS.

"Just because that Dalek got away. I know what that means to you both." Rita swallowed nodding sadly.

"Thank you Martha." she gave the woman a hug softly smiling.

"Think you'll ever see it again?" She asked letting go of the brunette.

"Oh, I think we will, somewhere, somewhen we will find that Dalek, or it will find us." Rita smiled stepping into the TARDIS after Martha.

"Oh, yes. One day." The Doctor muttered looking out at the city before closing the door of the TARDIS after walking inside.


	17. The Lazarus Experiment

_"Theta come on, you know you love having Martha around just as much as I do."_ Rita telepathically protested watching him from the jump seat next to Martha.

 _"We promised one trip."_

 _"You promised one trip"_ She corrected him _. "I never promised her anything."_

 _"Rita no, I made my promise."_

 _"You already broke it by taking her to New New York."_

 _"Rita, no. You know very well why we can't, I almost lost you to the Daleks, I can't keep the both of you safe."_ He told her turning a dial on the TARDIS console.

 _"You can't ever keep me one hundred percent, safe Doctor."_

 _"But I can try, it's harder to do that with the two of you, especially when you jump into the slightest of danger."_

 _"So do you!"_ She crossed her arms glaring at him, Martha looked at the brunette confused wondering what was going on inside her head, she then looked over at the Doctor noticing him glaring back at her.  
 _"Yes but that's me, not you."_

 _"I'm going to so kill you when she leaves."_

 _"Not if I kill you first."_

 _"Is that a challenge... Theta?"_ She smirked over at him.

 _"Only if you make it one"_

 _"You only said that because you know too well that I could never do that."_ She raised her brows at him.

"There we go." The Doctor said aloud not commenting on what the Time Lady just told him. "Perfect landing. Which isn't easy in such a tight spot."

"You should be used to tight spots by now. Where are we?" Martha asked walking to the door. Rita whined a little sadly looking at the Doctor.

 _"Don't even think about using the eyes on me Rita"_ He pointed at her sternly while Martha had her back to the two. Rita huffed rolling her eyes at him. Martha then turned to look at them beside the door and the Doctor continued. "The end of the line. No place like it."

Martha stepped out beaming but then her face fell seeing where she was. "Home. You took me home?" She asked sadly.

"In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about twelve hours. No time at all, really." He replied.

"Are you sure it's been only twleve hours" Rita snorted. "I may not have foreknowledge anymore but I can remember old conversations. Twleve months Doctor." She wiggled a finger in his face teasingly.

"Don't make me leave you here as well." He teased back.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me." He warned her causing her to roll her eyes.

"But all the stuff we've done. Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?" Martha sadly looked at the two of them.

"Yep, all in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was. Books, CDs, laundry." He picked up a pair of Martha's clothes off of the clothing rack which she then grabbed. Rita swatted him on the back of the head scolding him and narrowing her eyes. "Ow." he rubbed the back of his head. "Back were you were, as promised." He looked at Martha then Rita emphersising the word 'promised'

"This is it?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, we should probably er-" He looked at Rita as a phone rang.

The answer machine then began. "Hi, I'm out. Leave a message." The Martha on the phone called out.

"I'm sorry." She looked at the Time Lords a little embarrassed.

"Martha, are you there?" Her mother asked. "Pick it up, will you?"

"It's Mum." Martha told them. "It'll wait."

"All right then, pretend that you're out if you like." Her mother grumbled. "I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested." Martha frowned then grabbed the television remote and turned it on, the screen lit up to show an old man with what the Time Lords guessed to be Martha's sister standing beside the man.

"The details are top secret." He said.

"How could Tish end up on the news?" Martha asked staring at the TV.

"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device which will redefine our world."

"She's got a new job. PR for some research lab." Martha explained as the man started to speak again.  
"With the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human." Rita's eyebrows slightly raised _. 'The Doctor wouldn't miss this'_ She thought watching the screen.

"Professor! Professor!" A man started to shout on the tv. Martha then switched it back off turning to the Doctor.

"Sorry. You were saying we should?" She asked looking at the two of them.

"Yes, yes, we should." he nodded. "One trip is what we said."

"What you said" Rita corrected him. "I'll have you know that I protested against this. I swear on that with my hearts" She placed a hand on her left heart and then the right causing MArtha to let out a chuckle. "Sadly I think he is a little right thought." She sighed. "He did say one trip."

"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of escalated." Martha shrugged sadly.

"Mmm. Seems to happen to us a lot." He looked at Rita who shook her head at him.

"Thank you. For everything." She looked at both of them.

"It was our pleasure." The Doctor smiled then walked into the TARDIS.

"I have a feeling that I will see you again Martha Jones" Rita smiled giving the woman a hug.

"I'll miss you Stone."

"As will I. Until then, I have to put up with him."

"I heard that!" He shouted from inside the TARDIS causing both women to laugh.

"Goodbye Martha" Rita said before entering the TARDIS before it dematerialised. Martha watched in sadness and awe seeing the beautiful blue box disappear. She turned around sighing but then spun back around hearing the unique sound. Looking in show she saw the TARDIS materialise again the Doctor then popped his head out.

"No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?" he asked before the brunettes head popped out under his.

"I did say I had a feeling that I would see you again." She laughed.

"Martha, honestly I don't think I like this dress" Rita sighed looking in the mirror at the dark blue dress, a little darker than the exterior of the TARDIS, she was currently wearing. Her attention mostly on the ribbion that was tied at the front going all the way around her waist causing her to look thinner than she wished. "To be fair I don't like any dresses."

She pulled on parts of the dress watching it flow as she let go moving back to its shape. She sighed twirling around just because she could and remembered back to when she was forced to go to formal parties as a child, forced to talk and act a certain way. It was one of the reasons she hated dresses, she wasn't herself in them and she hated it.

"Oh come on I have never seen you in a dress before." Martha protested walking in and raising her brows at the sight. "How can you say you don't like it?" She asked walking over to the brunette.

"I never really liked them from a young age." She shrugged looking at her friend through the mirror. "I was forced to do things I didn't want to do, dress wearing and formal parties and dinners were one of the many. My parents were ones to kiss a lot of erm." She pursed her lips stopping before deciding to change the conversation. "The Doctor continuously teased me for some of the pronunciations I used to have because of the way I was told to speak, eventually he helped me break the habit and I forgot about it.

"I don't think he will be teasing you tonight." Martha chuckled. "Quite the opposite" She muttered under her breath far too quiet for her to hear.

"I suppose I can't keep trying on dress after dress" Rita sighed. "Shame I can't just go in jeans and vans. Now that I would be happy with."

"I don't understand you're clothing style some times." Martha shook her head.

"Me neither" Rita shrugged. "Shocks me sometimes with how much it can suddenly change, amongst other things..." She then turned around. "I suppose I can't go around wearing my vans with this, or I could" She mischievously grinned.

"I swear you are becoming more and more like him."

"Oh shut up Martha" Rita rolled her eyes not meaning what she was saying. "I'm not wearing heels."

"Fine, but if anyone says anything then I'm not saying anything to defend you."

"As disgusting as it is I'll just say I have an ingrowing toe nail" She laughed. "Won't question it any further then. We best go, the Doctor is probably itching to go and find out what your sister's friend is planning."

"He most likely went ahead himself." Martha rolled her eyes following Rita out of her room and heading to the console.

"Haven't gone on without us I see?" Rita said walking over to the console. The Doctor turned around and his eyes widened as they landed on her. He swallowed looking up and down at her dress, he opened his mouth to speak but no words exited.  
 _"You feeling okay Theta?"_ Rita frowned slightly concerned.

 _"I- I'm fine"_ He stuttered swallowing again still staring at the brunette.

"I look horrible, I know." She groaned.

"What?" his eyes snapped up to meet hers. "Rita honestly you look beautiful," he admitted softly smiling at her.

"You don't happen to look too bad yourself." She smiled at him. "I have to say though I think Martha looks the best." Rita turned around looking at the human woman.

"Compared to you Stone? Not a chance."

"Oh, Martha." She shook her head. "Please just accept my compliment so we can go, the quicker we go th quicker we come back and the quicker I can get back and in to clothes I actually like."

"Okay, okay." She held her hands up.

"Come on Ladies" The Doctor turned around heading out of the TARDIS.

"Ladies?" Rita questioned walking out of the TARDIS with Martha. He shrugged and continued walking down the street which they had parked the TARDIS on close to the venue.

"Oh, black tie." The Doctor grumped messing with his tie causing Rita to swat his arm away from it.

"You do that and I will have to fix it because I don't see any mirrors for you to do it." She rolled her eyes. "And stop messing with your cuffs" she swatted his hands away from his wrists as he started to fiddle with them.

"You're starting to sound like my mother." He muttered.

Rita stopped in her tracks squeezing her eyes shut and sighing. "Never compare your best friend to your own mother." She muttered. The Doctor smirked enjoying himself. He then proceeded to fiddle with his tie again causing Rita to groan and hit his hand away again.

"Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens." He sighed.

"You think it's the tie?" Rita raised a brow at him.

"It's not the outfit, that's just you." Martha agreed with the Time Lady. "Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way."

"Hmm" Rita looked up and down the Doctor placed a hand on her chin. "I see what you mean there Martha.

The Doctor looked at them both mortified "James Bond? Really?" He said in an offended tone.

"Sweetheart it's a compliment." Rita rolled her eyes. The Doctor held out his arm and she happily linked hers with his with Martha walking beside them as they entered the building with the large title above it reading 'Lazarus Laboratories'.

They walked in and Rita slightly shivered. The Doctor looked at her raising a brow. "Something wrong,"

"It's so... formal." She looked around disgusted seeing all of the waiters walking around with food and drinks, people stood around a large machine chatting with one another.

The Doctor snorted a laugh and shook his head. "Oh, you do surprise me sometimes." He replied pretending to wipe his eyes. "I remember when you were younger..."

"Not now" she groaned. "We don't need Martha knowing how much you teased me about what I had to wear.

"You should have seen her." The Doctor looked at Martha. "Bright-"

"Oh look, Doctor, they have nibbles." Rita cut him off.

His eyes lit up and he let go of the brunette scooping up a bunch of tiny bits of food as a waiter walked past. "I love nibbles!" He exclaimed shoving a few into his mouth.

Martha looked at the brunette astonished of how she actually just did that. "Like I have most likely said to you before, he get's easily distracted." Martha let out a chuckle then turned around hearing the voice of her sister.

"Tish!" She beamed hugging her.

"You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?" Tish asked looking around.

"Very." Martha nodded. Rita slowly stepped back beside the Doctor and pinched a nibble from his hand. He glared at her as she popped it in her mouth giggling at the reaction he was giving her for stealing it.

"And two nights out in a row for you." Tish continued. "That's dangerously close to a social life."

"If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns." Martha joked.

"You might, actually." Her sister laughed. "You should keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum, she's coming too. Even dragging Leo along with her."

"Leo in black tie? That I must see." Martha gasped chuckling a little. "This is, er, the Doctor and the Stone." Martha gestured to them both.

"Hello." The Doctor nodded and Rita waved while stealing another nibble from the Doctors hand.

"Are they with you?" Tish asked raising a brow, not looking very impressed by seeing them act like what she thought was young children stealing each other's food.

"Yeah." Martha nodded.

"But their not on the list. How did they get in?" Tish asked.

Martha opened her mouth to speak however Rita interrupted. "The Doctor is Martha's plus one. I'm here in place of Mr Stoker who sadly died in the events which happened yesterday. Such a tragic death." She sighed slowly shaking her head. "I only got told I was coming myself this morning, which is most likely why I am not on the list, the Doctor is also a good friend of mine and offered to take me, I also know Martha from work." She finished then added. "My apologies for the confusion Miss Jones." She smiled. The Doctor and Martha blinked at how legitimate that actually sounded.

"So, this Lazarus, he's your boss?" The Doctor then asked.

"Professor Lazarus" she corrected "Yes. I'm part of his executive staff."

"She's in the PR department," Martha informed them.

"I'm head of the PR department, actually." Tish corrected her sister.

Martha gasped at Tish. "You're joking."

"I put this whole thing together."

"So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight?" The Doctor asked. "That looks like it might be a-" the Doctor began, Rita then cut him off. "Sonic micro field manipulator."

"I was going to say that." He grumbled at her.

"But I said it first." She teased stealing the last nibble and eating it.

"Their science geeks. I should have known." Tish muttered to Martha. "Got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later." She then walked off and the Doctor asked: "Science geek? What does that mean?"

"That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it," Martha explained.

"Oh, nice." The Doctor smiled.

"Sounds like us." Rita shrugged turning around to look at the machine. "It gives me the creeps." The Doctor looked at her waiting for her to explain. "The machine, I got a bad feeling about it, it's probably nothing though." She shrugged. "Oh and don't do anything to make yourself look stupid, your not the best peoples person sweetheart." She shook her head and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Mum!" Martha gasped turning around and giving her mum a large hug. The Doctor and Rita also turned around watching the two.

"All right, what's the occasion?" Her mother asked.

"What do you mean?" Martha shrugged it off. "I'm just pleased to see you, that's all."

"You saw me last night." She protested.

"I know. I just miss you. You're looking good, Leo." She grinned at her brother.

"Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch them a drink, I'll swing for him." He joked.

"You disappeared last night." Marthas mother's face fell slightly her eyes glancing over to behind her daughter noticing the Doctor and Rita.

"I just went home." She shrugged it off.

"On your own?"

"These are friends of mine. The Doctor and the Stone."

"Rita Stone" Rita waved. "Most of my friends just call me Stone, however."

Martha's mother nodded then turned to the Doctor. "Doctor what?"

"No, it's just the Doctor. We've been doing some work together."

"Your daughter is very clever Mrs Jones." Rita smiled seeing the woman was slightly uneasy about the Doctor due to never hearing of him or Rita before. "She's been helping me a lot with my work."

"And what would that be?" Mrs Jones asked.

"Oh, I have been recently researching about different diseases. Almost hit a break through." She chuckled.

"I see" Mrs Jones nodded.

"You all right, mate?" Leo looked at the Doctor who nodded shaking his hand.

"It's lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones. Heard a lot about you."

 _"Now you've done it."_ Rita sighed a little.

"Have you? What have you heard, then?" She asked.

"Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and." He looked at Martha and Rita for help. "Er, no, actually, that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat. You know, been... busy."

"Busy? Doing what, exactly?" She asked.

"Oh, you know... Stuff."

"Sorry, he's not really a people person to be fair." Rita patted the Doctors arm. "Don't mind him though." She sighed deeply as a man tapped on a glass. Everyone turned to his direction and they noticed it was Professor Lazarus standing beside the machine as the lights dimmed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever." He then entered the machine and two scientists start to power up the four columns began to circulate the machine and glow a bright blue shining the room. An alarm then sounded

"Something's wrong. It's overloading." The Doctor and Rita looked at each other.

"I knew I didn't like that machine" Rita muttered before running over with the Doctor, both of them taking out their sonics, trying to stop the machine.

"Somebody stop them!" An older woman shouted at the Time Lords. "Get them away from those controls!"

"If this thing goes up, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?" The Doctor asked continuing to use his sonic screwdriver on the controls. Rita then jumped over and pulled a massive power cable causing the machine to slow down to a stop.

"Somebody get it open!" Rita shouted. Martha then pulled open the door as Rita and the Doctor ran to the front of the machine. A young man then staggered out _. "Oh my god."_ Rita gasped _. "This isn't good"_

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy-six years old and I am reborn!" He proudly shouted. The crowd then applauded. The Doctor, Rita and Martha looked horrified as he beamed.

"It can't be the same guy." Martha shook her head standing by one of the columns of the machine watching Lazarus. "It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"Oh, it's not a trick." The Doctor sighed.

"Trust me. We wish it were." Rita added.

Martha looked at them then asked: "What just happened then?"

"He just changed what it means to be human."

"The one thing I wish you humans wouldn't mess with, how long you live and how long until you die." she sighed. "Until you realise what it can truely do you want it, but then it becomes a curse that you have to live on with forever." The Doctor sadly looked at the brunette and took her hand in comfort. "I'm alright." She looked up at him feeling his thumb move over her knuckles.

"I know." he sadly smiled at her knowing it was partly the truth.

Rita looked back at Lazarus and noticed him tense up. "I think that's our que Doctor." She raised her brows and he nodded following her.

"I'm famished," Lazurus said between mouth fulls of food.

"Energy deficit." The Doctor stated. "That always happens with this kind of process. We've seen it before." The Doctor looked at Rita who nodded.

"You speak as if you see this every day, Mister?"

"Doctor, this is the Stone." He gestured to Rita. "And well, no, not every day, but we have some experience of this kind of transformation." He stated.

"That's not possible," Lazurus told them.

"You used hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance," Rita explained. "That's quite impressive."

"You both understand the theory, then." He looked at them and they nodded.

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables."

"No experiment is entirely without risk."

"That thing nearly exploded. You might as well have stepped into a blender."

"You should always look at all the variables," Rita told Lazarus. "My mother taught me that, you know, I don't think she was that bad of a woman sometimes."

"Well, she was your mother." The Doctor told her.

"She had her moments of glory." Rita shrugged. "Anyways enough about my family, the Doctor is right, that almost exploded destroying the whole building with it."

"You're not qualified to comment." A woman snapped at them.

"If the Stone hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded." The Doctor stated coldly.

"Then I thank you both, Doctor, Stone. But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests." Martha interrupted.

"Look at me. You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

"On the outside but your DNA could say otherwise," Rita told him.

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially." The woman told them.

"Commercially? You are joking. That'll cause chaos." Martha gasped.

"Not chaos, change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about improving. This is about you and your customers living a little longer." The Doctor spat.

"Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely." Lazarus corrected him.

"Richard, we have things to discuss, upstairs." The woman smiled pulling him away.

"Goodbye, Doctor, Stone. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were." He kissed Martha's hand. The Doctor placed an arm around Rita's waist as he went to kiss hers. He glared at the Doctor slightly before leaving with the woman.

 _"Thank you"_ she breathed _. "Sometimes you can be such a sweetheart."_ She chuckled, Martha looked at them both strangely not understanding what they found funny.

 _"Could say the same about you."_

 _"Yeah, you could."_ She smiled at him and he returned it before his face turned serious again.

"Oh, he's out of his depth. No idea of the damage he might have done."

"So what do we do now?" Martha asked them.

"Now? Well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests."

"Ah reminds me of when I had my own, feels like such a long time ago now." Rita sighed.

"Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?" Martha held out her hand. The Doctor and Rita both laughed.

"Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star." He beamed.

"I said you were amazing." Rita grinned before adding: "Andiamo"

"French is better." The Doctor commented walking beside her.

"I like Italian more" Rita shrugged.

"You just want to copy me." He pouted slightly.

"Aww sweetheart, you wish." She patted his cheek lightly laughing.

"Andiamo it is," Martha muttered.


	18. The Lazarus Experiment - Two

"Amazing." The Doctor breathed watching the laptop screen with Rita in the dimly lit science laboratory.

"It definitely is." Rita watched the screen as well which currently has a strand of Lazarus's DNA.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Lazarus's DNA." The Time Lords both said.

"I can't see anything different." Martha shook her head leaning closer.

"Look at it." The Doctor told her. There then was a small blip and as Rita guessed Lazarus's DNA changed.

"Oh, my God." Martha gasped sitting back. She looked at the two Time Lords. "Did that just change? But it can't have."

"But it did." The Doctor protested eyes still on the screen.

"It's impossible." Martha gawked at it.

"And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight." The Doctor chuckled. "Don't you love it when that happens?"

"I certainly do" Rita grinned in agreement.

"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns," Martha said.

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilise the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands." The Doctor said extremely fast. Rita shook her head while Martha just blinked at him in confusion.

"What the Doctor means is that Lazarus basically just hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate." Rita explained simpler for Martha.

"But they're still mutating now." She watched again.

"Because he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilise. Something that's trying to change him."

"Change him into what?" Martha asked them.

"We don't know, but I think we need to find out." The Doctor told them.

"That woman said they were going upstairs," Martha told him.

"Let's go." The Doctor, Rita and Martha ran off to the lift.

"I really don't have a good feeling about this, everyone needs to get out of the building," Rita muttered as the lift headed up.

"Sadly I have that same feeling, and you'll be the first to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." She told him firmly. "I'm staying with you."

"Why do you have to protest so much." He sighed running a hand through his hair.

"Learned from the best." She raised her brows at him and smirked. The lift doors then opened, they stepped out into a dark area. Automatically the lights came on, but no one was around.

"This is his office, all right." Martha looked around.

"So where is he?" The Doctor asked.

"Don't know. Let's try back at the reception." Martha went to turn around however her eyes fixed on something, a skeleton leg poking out from behind a desk.

"What is it?" Rita asked following her gaze slowly walking over to what Martha had seen.

"Is that Lady Thaw?" Martha asked in horror. The Doctor walked up joining them and crouching down beside the skeleton.

"Used to be. Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

"I'm never going to look at orange juice the same again.

"You hate it anyways."

"I might not, in a few years or so." Rita pursed her lips. The Doctor snapped his head in her direction.

 _"Don't say that."_ He told her.

 _"Why not?"_ Rita asked.

 _"Because it isn't something you should think about, make the days count, don't count the days."_ She shook her head at him for a moment before Martha spoke up.

"Lazarus?" She guessed.

"Could be."

"So he's changed already?" Martha asked.

"Might have, might not, just like you saw his DNA was fluctuating and that process needs energy, he could have changed took the energy he needed but not be enough to permanently be in that form," Rita explained.

"So he might do this again?" Martha asked.

"Mmm." The Doctor hummed walking back to the lift with the girls.

They returned to the reception room which looked the same as it did before. "I can't see him," Martha said looking around.

"He can't be far. Keep looking." The Doctor told her scanning the room with his eyes trying to find the man.

"Hey, you all right, Marth?" Leo walked up to her. "I think Mum wants to talk to you."

"Have you see Lazarus anywhere?" She asked her brother who nodded.

"Yeah, well, he was getting cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."

"With Tish?" Martha asked.

"Ah, Doctor." Martha's mother walked over.

"Do you know where they went?" Rita asked.

"Upstairs, I think. Why?" Leo answered.

"Doctor"

The Doctor and Rita ran past heading upstairs. The Stone managed to dodge the woman, however, the Doctor wasn't so lucky and accidentally knocked Martha's mothers drink.

"I'm speaking to you!" She shouted.

"Now you really have done it." Rita groaned running with the Doctor heading upstairs.

"Not now, Mum." Martha ran off with the Time Lords.

They ran into Lazarus' office after exiting the lift.  
"Where are they?" Martha asked.

"Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up." He scanned the area with his sonic screwdriver.

"I think I have an idea of where he is." Rita brought out her own sonic from a pocket she had in a zip in her dress and quickly scanned the room.

"You have pockets in that dress?" The Doctor asked.

"Do I look like Donna?" She asked grinning then looking at her sonic and swallowed hard. She then slowly pointed hers upwards as the Doctor also did.

"But this is the top floor," Martha told them. Rita gave her a look as if to tell her to think. She then gave out a gasp. "The roof."

The Doctor stepped out onto the roof Rita standing behind him. "Falls the Shadow." He finished for Lazarus.

"So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot." Lazarus turned around. "I'm impressed."

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish hissed at her sister.

"Tish, get away from him." Martha pleaded.

"What?" She snapped. "Don't tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all." He commented.

"You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two or three or four."

"That isn't how it works Lazarus, you don't get to decide that," Rita told him.

"Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty." The Doctor added. "It's not the time that matters, it's the person."

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be." Lazarus hissed at them.

"Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself."

"Who are you to judge me?" He snapped.

"Oh, you have no idea." Rita snapped back at him.

"Over here, Tish," Martha whispered to her sister gesturing for her to move away from Lazarus.

Tish frowned then snapped at her sister. "You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."

"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha shouted seeing what was happening behind her sisters back.

"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones." She heard the cry of Lazarus and turned around seeing what was now a massive bony creature with a human face.

"What's that?" Tish shakily asked slowly backing away from it. The Doctors and Rita's eyes widened.

He then grabbed her hand and shouted: "Run!" The Doctor pulled Rita who pulled Martha away, Tish screamed as Martha grabbed her sister following the Doctor and Rita. They ran through the door and the Doctor locked it with his sonic screwdriver once everyone was inside.

"Are you okay?" Martha asked checking her sister.

"I was going to snog him." Tish cried out.

"Humans" Rita scoffed rolling her eyes. "Almost became a giant human scorpions snack and you're worried about almost snogging him?"

"Not the best time for sarcasm there Stone." The Doctor remarked. Rita rolled her eyes and looked up seeing the lights flicker as the door started to make a banging noise.

"Security one. Security one. Security one." They heard through a speaker, all of the lights then cut out around them.

"What's happening?" Martha asked looking at Tish.

"An intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the exits." She explained.

"He must be breaking through that door. The stairs, come on!" The Doctor shouted pulling Rita down the stairs with him, Martha and Tish behind them.  
They all looked back hearing a loud crash and growl from up the stairs.

"He's inside!" Martha cried.

"We haven't got much time!" The Doctor shouted.  
They continued down the stairs. "Rita you have to help everyone get out, go with Martha"

"Oh no, I'm not leaving you to do something stupid." She told him running down the stairs.

"Rita you have to help them, if they don't get out somehow then he will kill them all."

"Fine but don't do anything you know I wouldn't agree with."

"Same goes for you." He told her smirking before hearing a crash and continuing to run down the stairs. They entered the reception room and the Doctor turned to Tish.

"Tish, is there another way out of here?" He asked.  
"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now." She replied.

The Doctor threw her his sonic screwdriver. "Martha, setting fifty-four. Hurry."

"What about you?" Rita asked.

"Rita if I know you, you have a plan. Now go" he ordered. They nodded and ran for the door.

"Martha point and press that button at the door. Trust me." Rita told her before running off in another direction heading towards the machine Lazarus used to make himself younger.

"Listen to me!" The Doctor shouted standing up on a table. "You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"

"Don't be ridiculous." A woman scoffed. "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

Rita looked up from what she was doing hearing the screams of people outside. 'Keep it away Doctor' she thought to herself hoping that he would sort of know her plan. She then used her sonic on the panel and began to pull out some of the wires.

"Been a while since I have done anything like this." She muttered continuing to carefully bring out the wires from the gap in the machine.

"Leo!" Martha's mother screamed as her son was hit by Lazarus who was now giant the scorpion-like monster.

"Over here!" Martha shouted. "This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!"

"Come on," Rita muttered quickly but taking care in using her sonic on wires.

"Lazarus! Leave them alone." The Doctor shouted standing by the machine. Rita looked up sonic between her teeth seeing the Doctor standing by the door blocking it, she moved over slightly looking through the gap and sighing. Lazarus then turned towards the Doctor. Martha ran over to her family as the Doctor slowly backed away from the machine in the opposite direction allowing Martha to save her family.

"Martha." Her mother cried out holding Leo who looked dazed.

"Come on, stay with me." She told her brother moving away. "You're okay."

"What's the point?!" The Doctor shouted at Lazarus. "You can't control it! The mutation's too strong! Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool. A vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus!" He screamed continuing to back up. "A footnote in the history of failure!" He then ran down a corridor.

"What's the Doctor doing?" Tish asked.

"He's trying to buy us some time. Let's not waste it." She turned to her brother. "Leo, look at me. Focus on me. Let's see your eyes."

"That will do for now," Rita mumbled stepping out of the machine and running over to Martha looking at her brother.

"He has concussion." She stated causing Martha to turn around and hug the brunette.

"You okay?" Martha asked.

"I'm fine." She smiled softly then turned to Martha's mother. "Mrs Jones you will need to help him downstairs."

Martha then grabbed some ice and a napkin handing it to her mother. "This'll keep the swelling down. Go! We'll be right behind you." She told them pushing them away. "Tish, move! We need to get out of here." She shouted.

They ran over to the door where people were screaming to be let out.

"We can't get out. We're trapped!" Tish cried  
"There must be an override switch." Martha looked around. "Where's the security desk?" She asked getting no answer she shouted. "Tish!"

"There." She pointed.

"Martha go I'll stay with these people, you know what to do," Rita told her. Martha nodded jumping over the desk running over to the control panel and running the Doctors sonic screwdriver over it.  
The lights then flickered on and Rita laughed in joy opening the doors and watching the people run out.

"Martha come on!" Tish shouted going to run outside. Martha looked at her sister then at Rita.

"Martha I have to go back, you know I do." Rita sadly told her. "I have to help him. I need the sonic Martha." She held out her hand for it. "You can't come with me it's too dangerous."

"Why are you going then?" Martha asked. "He wouldn't want you to go because it's too dangerous." She protected.

"Because I-" she sighed looking at the ground while running a hand through her hair. "Stay here!" She shouted running towards the corridor the Doctor had headed to completely forgetting about the Doctors sonic screwdriver from being too busy worrying about the Doctor.

She turned around hearing footsteps behind her and groaned seeing Martha running up to her. "Martha go back." She warned.

"No, plus you forgot his sonic." She held it up causing Rita to blink.

"I was too busy." She groaned making an excuse.  
"Busy?" Martha frowned.

"Worrying, I should have heard something by now, the Doctor is never one to be quiet."

"You were worried about him." She smirked understanding.

"Yes because I know the idiot he can be sometimes." She sighed then opened her mouth to speak again. There was suddenly an explosion. Rita's eyes automatically darted to the direction of it and sprinted towards it Martha following behind. Rita attempted to skid to a stop but collided with a person causing her to almost fall over. Martha however successfully stopped.

The Doctor looked down and realised who it was. He sighed burying his face into her neck as she did the same to him glad that he was alive and not a skeleton lying on the floor.

"Never be that quiet again." She murmured into his neck.

"If you say so." He laughed then let her go. "What are you two doing here?" He asked noticing Martha standing a little behind Rita.

"We're returning this. The Stone thought you might need it."

"How did you?" He looked at Rita.

"Oh come on Doctor when don't you go around creating a racket." She rolled her eyes.

"I blasted Lazarus." He replied. Her eyebrows raised and Martha asked: "Did you kill him?"

They heard a loud roar and the Doctor instantly grabbed Rita's hand tightly. "More sort of annoyed him, I'd say." The Doctor pulled Rita and ran back to the reception area with Martha following behind them.

"What now? We've just gone round in a circle." Martha asked.

"We can't lead him outside." The Doctor looked around.

"I'm not finished but if I work quickly," Rita muttered running a hand through her hair. "It will have to do." She sighed stepping into the sonic microfield manipulator.

The Doctor then stepped inside as well and turned to Martha. "Come on, get in."

"Are we hiding?" Martha asked.

"No, he knows we're here. But this is his masterpiece." The Doctor replied.

"And I bet that he won't destroy it, not even to get at us." Rita replied then muttered: "Hopefully"

"But we're trapped."

"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem."

"You mean you two don't have a plan?" Martha asked them.

"Yes, I do," Rita replied. "But I'm not finished, so currently I have nothing." She sighed. "This really isn't for three people." She muttered. "Apologies." She started to slide down the side.

"Hey!" Martha cried.

"I did say sorry," Rita muttered opening the panel she had opened earlier backup.

"Doctor be a dear and help me please." She groaned. "There is no way I can get all of this done in the time needed on my own. I even started this earlier."

"Okay, okay." He crouched down beside her.

"Hey!" Martha said again and the Doctor quickly apologised: "Sorry, sorry, sorry."

"Here we are." He muttered helping the brunette take out more wires and now processors.

"What're you going to do with that?" She asked them.

"Improvise because I never got to finish this," Rita replied.

"I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?" Martha asked.

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin." The Doctor answered.

"Human? How can it be human?" She asked.

"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant." Rita replied then placed her sonic between her teeth messing with more wires.

"So it's a throwback?" She asked. Rita started to mumble her sonic still between her teeth. "What?" She looked at Rita.

"I think she is saying that some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake." He raised a brow at Rita who nodded and removed her sonic from between her teeth then muttered: "Yeah thanks."

"It's like Pandora's box." Martha guessed.

The two Time Lords both nodded then the Doctor commented. "Exactly. Nice shoes, by the way."

"Better than the Stones?" Martha asked, Rita then groaned.

The Doctor looked at her feet and smirked. "Of course you wouldn't wear heels."

"I hate them so much but this is not the time for laughing Doctor." She shivered.

There was a whirling noise which caused Rita to swallow and started to pick up the pace with what she was doing.

"What's happening?" Martha worryingly asked.

"Sounds like he's switched the machine on." The Doctor also started to work much faster.

"And that's not good, is it?" Martha asked.

"Not really, no. Even when I started earlier this isn't finished."

"We were hoping it was going to take him a little bit longer to work it out." The Doctor added.

"I don't want to hurry you both, but-"

"We know, we know." The Doctor automatically replied. "Nearly done."

"Well, what're you doing?" Martha then asked.

"We're trying to set the capsule to reflex the energy so he get's hit and we don't become man-eating scorpions." She muttered. "I was trying to do it earlier but then I heard someone shouting at a hungry giant scorpion." She glared at the Doctor.

"It was either that or he would have killed Martha's mother and brother." The Doctor protested.

"Sweetheart I know but now is not the time!" She raised her voice.

"Will that kill it?" Martha asked them looking slightly sickened at how fast the Time Lords were now working.

"When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication. So he's spreading himself thin." The Doctor said extremely fast.

"We're going to end up like him!" Martha cried.

"Just one more!" He shouted ripping the wire.  
They heard the loud crash and the machine slowly stopping. Rita breathed out a sigh. The Doctor took her hand and opened the machine door then stepped out.

"I thought we were going to go through the blender then." Martha joked.

"Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity." The Doctor looked at Rita who nodded in agreement. "I must be a bit out of practice."

"As am I." She shrugged.  
They looked over and saw the body of the young naked Lazarus lying faced down on the floor.

"Oh, God." Martha gasped. "He seems so human again. It's kind of pitiful."

"Eliot saw that, too. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper." The Doctor softly replied. His eyes then shifted to Rita and he telepathically asked her: _"are you okay?"_  
She swallowed for a moment shifting her gaze to his brow eyes that looked over at her, so old but yet so wise, kind and soft. _"Knowing that you're alive and okay? Yeah, I'm good."_

 _"Rita."_ He stared into her hazel eyes as she continued to stare into his brown ones. _"I-"_ he looked at her seeing a saddend look on her face when he stopped. "We better go." He said quickly and she nodded.

"Come on Martha, we can't do anything else." She sighed slightly wishing that whatever he was going to say that he continued.

They headed out of the building the Doctors arm linked with Rita's while Martha walked a little in front of them.

The ambulance then appeared and ran inside to take Lazarus away.

"She's here." Tish cried running over to Martha. "Oh, she's all right."

"Ah, Mrs Jones." The Doctor smiled. "We still haven't finished our chat." He then was taken back by the hard slap across his cheek.

"Doctor!" Rita shouted pulling him back and placing a hand on his cheek.

"Keep away from my daughter!" She shouted. "The both of you!"

"Mum, what are you doing?!" Martha asked in horror.

"All of the mothers, every time." The Doctor muttered.

"Sweetheart you'll be fine." Rita rolled her eyes. "But are you okay?" She asked in concern and he nodded. She knew Mrs Jones would have been extremely angry but she didn't see a hard enough slap like that almost knocking the Doctor to the floor.

"They're dangerous!" She shouted at Martha. "I've been told things!"

"What are you talking about?" Martha angrily shouted at her mother.

"Look around you." Mrs Jones waved her hands around. "Nothing but death and destruction!" She screamed at her daughter trying to get her to listen. The ambulance then turned on its sirens and left.

"This isn't their fault!" Martha shouted ripping her hands away from her mother, stepping beside a rather confused Rita who cupped the Doctors cheek. "They saved us, all of us!"

"And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place." Leo interrupted. "I'd say technically, it's her fault. Tish then elbowed Leo and a large crash was heard. The Doctor and Rita then looked at each other and ran off.


	19. The Lazarus Experiment - Three

Martha watched the Doctor and Stone ran off, she then went to follow the Time Lords, her mother grabbed her arm in protest shaking her head at her daughter. "Leave them." Martha sadly shook her head at her mother, ripped her hand away again and ran off.

They ran to the ambulance and sighed seeing the back of the ambulance was open with all of the people inside with no skin and only dark bones. "Lazarus, back from the dead. Should have known, really." He muttered tightening his grip on the Time Lady's hand as she did the same to him.

The Doctor then gently let go taking out of sonic screwdriver and began to scan around him and the brunette. Martha and Tish then ran up beside them.  
"Where's he gone?" Martha asked. The Doctor then stopped in front of the Cathedral.

"That way." He said.

"The church." Rita breathed.

"Cathedral." Tish corrected her. "It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

The Doctor walked first Rita right behind him with Martha and Tish behind her. They cautiously walked in the Doctor still scanning the area.

"Do you think he's in here?" Martha quietly asked the Doctor.

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" He questioned. She didn't reply but continued to walk then noticed the shivering Lazarus wrapped in a red blanket behind the altar.

"I came here before, a lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child, the sound of planes and bombs outside." He said hearing them walk up. Rita stood by Martha and Tish as the Doctor stepped forward his face blank staring down at Lazarus.

"The Blitz." The Doctor said.

"You've read about it." Lazarus looked up at him.

"He was there." Rita said causing Lazarus to look at her.

"He's too young."

"So are you." The Doctor replied coldly. Lazarus then started to laugh which then turned to cries of pain as his body began to painfully crack.

He breathed deeply after the moment of pain sweat now on his forehead. "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenceless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today?" The Doctor coldly asked.

"That's what I did today." He corrected him.

"And what about all of the people who died, the people you killed, the lives you ruined? What about them?" Rita gritted her teeth going to lunge at him. Martha and Tish grabbed hold of her arms keeping the furious Time Lady back.

"They were nothing. I changed the course of history."

"Any of them might have done too." The Doctor hissed. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

"No, Doctor. Avoiding death, that's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fibre of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful." He smirked then cried out in pain again his body jolting as his bones cracked, his body changing. Into the monster.

"Look at yourself!" The Doctor shouted. "You're mutating! You've no control over it. You call that a success?"

Lazarus looked at him now shaking more than before. "I call it progress. I'm more now that I was. More than just an ordinary human."

"That's the thing Lazarus, I know fully well that there is no ordinary human." Rita hissed at him. Lazarus then screamed out in pain his body cracking even more loudly.

Martha whispered to the Doctor quietly. "He's going to change again any minute."

"I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work." The Doctor replied. Rita looked at him and the Doctor shook his head slowly his face extremely serious showing a hint of doubt.

"Up there?" Martha asked.

"You're so sentimental, Doctor, Stone. Maybe the two of you are older than you look." He hissed at them.

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you." His eyes drifted over meeting hers. Rita gave a sad smile thinking that he was talking about home but he wasn't. He was talking about almost losing _her_. "Tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying." He hissed at the Doctor.

"Is it?"

"I will feed soon." Lazarus turned to the Doctor who slowly crouched down beside the man who was deeply breathing.

"I'm not going to let that happen." He calmly replied. His eyes growing soft.

"You've not been able to stop me so far." He hissed moving closer to the Doctor.

"Lazarus!" He whipped his head in the brunette's direction. "Your precious machine that made you what you are. Want to know who messed with it and possibly broke it?" She asked. He then growled at her.

"No!" The Doctor shouted.

"It was me," Rita replied sprinting towards the tower not daring to turn around. _"Theta your plan! Do it!"_ She screamed at him. Martha and Tish then ran up beside her and she groaned. "What are you two doing!"

"Helping you!" Martha shouted climbing the tower with her running around the spiral staircase as fast as they could. Hearing a scream the two humans stopped looking back.

"Did you hear that?" Tish asked.

"He's changed again." Martha cried.

"Come on! We have to keep going up, he has a plan and we have to follow it!" Rita shouted running up the staircase dragging Martha and Tish with her.

"Stone! Martha!" The Doctor shouted. Rita then looked through the passageway.

"Up here!" She shouted.

"Take him to the top!" He shouted up at her. "The very top of the bell tower, do you hear me?"

"Yes!" She shouted back. "The very top. Do what you have to do!" She shouted back to him and watched him run off. She then felt Martha pull her away and saw the mutant Lazarus heading right for her.

"Well then, andiamo!" She screamed pulling the two with her. They continued to climb heading as high as possible, they ran out to where the giant bell was running around on the wooden frame.

"There's nowhere to go. We're trapped!" Tish cried.

"We're not trapped!" Rita told them making sure they stood behind her.

"All right, so then we're not trapped. We're bait." Tish shouted.

"That's the one, the Doctor knows exactly what he is doing, I trust him with my life without having to think about it, I know he will do this, you have to trust me and him." She told them as calmly as possible keeping her eye on the door.

"Ladies." Lazarus hissed stepping out of the door.  
"Stay behind me. If he takes me, make a run for it. Head down the stairs. You should have enough time." Martha told Tish.

"But m-" She went to protest.

"Just do it, Tish!"

"He's going to have to get through me first to get anywhere near you Martha!" Rita shouted ducking as Lazarus attempted to clamber across the gap under the huge bell instead of going around on the wooden frame.

Lazarus jumped on the bell and started to throw it's tail at the three Rita pushed Martha and Tish out of the way as Lazarus' tail collided with her knocking her down. Grabbing on to the bottom of the wooden walkway she screamed and clung on. "Come get me Lazarus! Leave them alone!" She shouted.

"Stone! Hold on!" Martha cried out.

"What does it look like I am doing right now!" She snapped at her from the fear. The sound then began to reverberate hurting the monster as well as Martha, Tish and Rita. The two humans held on to their heads in pain as Rita cried out her grip on the wood loosening. The mutant fell off of the bell to the ground as the painful sound stopped playing. Rita cried out again one of her hands slipping.

"Stone!" Martha cried as her and Tish dived for Rita both grabbing her arm and pulling her up. They pulled her away from the edge.

"I... hate... hights..." Rita panted causing both girls to laugh.

"Stone? Martha?" The Doctor shouted up.

"She's fine!" Martha shouted. "We're all okay!" The Doctor sighed out in relief knowing that they were both okay, mainly happy that she was okay.

"Thank you" Rita breathed out sitting on the floor catching her breath.

"It's your Doctor you should be thanking." Tish laughed.

"He's not mine" She breathed out shaking her head.

"He cut it a bit fine there, didn't he?" Tish asked.

"He always does. It's more fun that way." Martha laughed.

"Even after knowing him for centuries it never changes." Rita laughed.

"Who is he?" Trish muttered. "Who are you two?" Tish looked at Rita.

"Like I said before, He's the Doctor and I'm the Stone."

The Doctor turned around hearing footsteps behind him. Seeing her their he ran up to her burying his face into her neck as she did the same to him.  
 _"Rita."_ He sighed keeping his head in her the crook of her neck.

 _"Theta, I know, I'm sorry I scared you."_

 _"You terrified me. I, I thought he killed you."_

 _"But I'm here sweetheart"_ She moved her face and looked at him cupping his cheek in her hands. _"I'm not finished annoying you yet."_

 _"Rita."_ He breathed placing a finger under her chin forcing her to look up at him, staring into her eyes he could see the still look of terror swallowing he placed a hand on the back of her neck, snaking the other around her waist pulling her closer as he brought her lips up to his kissing her softly. Her eyes fluttered closed and she began to kiss him back not thinking of what she was doing. _"I love you."_ He softly whispered into her mind as he continued to kiss her.

She suddenly froze, eyes slightly wide in shock realising what was happening and what he just told her. She slowly backed up away from him terror coursing through her body. Rita turned and ran.

"Something else that just kind of escalated, then." The Doctor smiled leaning against the TARDIS supposedly saying his final goodbye to Martha. His mind was elsewhere however, Rita was in her room of the TARDIS refusing to leave.

"I can see a pattern developing. You should take more care in the future. And the past. And whatever other time period you find yourself in." She laughed.

"It's good fun, though, isn't it?" He asked.

She nodded in response. "Yeah."

"So, what do you say, one more trip?" He asked.

"No." She shook her head, he looked confused and hurt. "Sorry."

"What do you mean? I thought you liked it." he asked.

"I do, but I can't go on like this. One more trip. It's not fair... You and the Stone also look like you need to sort some things out." The Doctor's eyes widend and a blush crept on his face remembering that her and Tish both witnessed the event from earlier on.

"It's clear what she wants." He mumbled. "She doesn't and that's okay."

"Doctor I saw her kiss you back, something happened between that and her running away."

He sighed. "Time Lords can tellipathically talk to one another." He explained. "And I told her, that I loved her."

"Oh" Martha's brows raised. "Give her time Doctor, she's obviously scared and confused."

"Yeah, I see it in her eyes." He muttered. "But that still doesn't completely explain what you said, what're you talking about? 'Can't do this anymore'."

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore." She explained. "Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, I'd rather stay here." She crossed her arms.

"Okay, then. If that's what you want." He nodded looking at the TARDIS then back at her.

"Right." She coldly muttered. "But we've already said goodbye once today. It's probably best if you just go." She turned around to leave but just stood there. Frowning from not hearing the TARDIS wheezing. "What is it?"

"What?" He looked at her. "I said okay."

"Sorry?" She frowned not understanding what he meant.

"Okay." He nodded towards the TARDIS and started grinning.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" She ran up hugging him.

"Well, you were never really just a passenger, were you?" He laughed. "The Stone also may have already convinced me before we even got here.

Martha walked in to the TARDIS beaming. She noticed Rita sitting in the jump seat cross legged no longer in her room.

"Stone! I get to stay!" She beamed running over. Rita laughed and pulled her friend into a hug.

"Well of course you do! I wouldn't have let him leave you here!" She laughed as Martha ran up to her and tightly hugged her. "I finally have someone other than him to talk to."

"Oi!" He said in an offended tone causing both girls to laugh.

"Just ignore him, he's rude and not ginger." She chuckled jumping up. "Well now that I know he won't chuck you out I'm going to sleep, haven't done that in a few days." She shrugged.

 _"Rita"_ the Doctor swallowed causing the brunette to freeze. _"I'm sorry."_ She felt her hearts practically break. He sounded so hurt, so alone and so broken. She wanted to turn around and run to him, to tell him to not apologise and to not act like he's to blame. How she so wanted to tell him how she _really_ felt behind all of the lies and times she convinced herself that she _didn't_ , because she homestly _did._ She had to tell herself that before she could tell him. But she couldn't at that moment. At least not yet. Quietly sighing the Time Lady slowly walked down the hall feeling the burning of his soft brow eyes in the back of her skull.


	20. 42

"I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do." Rita repeatedly paced around her room, Martha sitting on her bed trying to help the confused Time Lady.

"Stone!" Martha shouted making the Time Lady stop in her tracks. "Why are you so worried?"

"You saw what happened last night?" She asked continuing to pace around shaking her head. "I can't Martha."

"Can't what?" She asked resting her chin in her hand.

"Do that, I just. I've never had a 'proper relationship' before." She explained to the confused woman. "Of course I was forced to marry but I never- well you know." She looked at her.

"Loved them?"

"Yeah that," She waved a hand at the woman not even able to look at her in reply as she continued to pace the room. "There is no way I can, not with him."

"You say it as if it's a bad thing." Martha raised a brow.

"Well it is... but it isn't." She then groaned slumping into the spinning chair next to her desk which had been cleared now scattering new pieces of paper all over it.

"Why isn't it?" Martha frowned.

"I- I can't discuss this, I'm sorry Martha but I can't, I don't- you know and I most likely never will." Martha raised her brows at the Time Lady not believing a word. "He's my best friend!" She protested running a hand down her face. "Even _if_ I did- which I don't." She gave the woman a pointed look telling her to not even go there. "He clearly is just playing a joke on me." She groaned once again spinning around in the chair out of comfort. "I'm sorry for taking up your time Martha."

"It's completely fine Stone, it isn't like you can go to the Doctor about this and there isn't anybody else"

"Well, there is that." She sighed standing up. "Has he spoken to you about it though?" Rita asked not able to hold back the itching question.

"I mentioned you earlier and he froze in place not moving for a good five minutes."

"Great." Rita threw her head back pacing her room once more. "Can't even hear my own name without freezing up."

"Oh, you two will sort it out. Talk to him about it."

"No way." Rita shook her head gesturing with her arms for emphasis. "That is the last thing I want to do because if I do that it will become twenty-one questions and I will end up saying something I didn't want to say and it will be a complete disaster."

"So you're going to ignore it then?" Martha asked as it if wasn't the best thing to do.

"If he doesn't mention it then neither will I." She shrugged.

"How long will that last for?" Martha asked standing up from the bed.

"As long as it needs to last," Rita replied. "One day I may tell him why I ran off, or I might not."

"Will you ever tell me?" She asked.

"Probably not, it's personal."

"I understand." Martha smiled then exited the room leaving Rita sighing and flopping onto her bed in confusion and stress.

"Right, there we go." The Stone heard the Doctor talking to Martha. "Universal roaming." He walked around the TARDIS console holding Martha's phone. "Never have to worry about a signal again."

"No way." Martha gasped as he threw her phone at her. "This is too mad. You're telling me I can phone anyone, anywhere in space and time on my mobile?"

"Frequent fliers privilege?" Rita asked walking in.

"Of course." He nodded grinning at her causing the Stone's slight fear that he would act differently to die down. He was complacently fine, perhaps it was just a joke?

"That's basically a signal to say that you're stuck with us for as long as you like now." Rita laughed. "Also if you know the area code you can phone anywhere you like." She told Martha jumping into the jump seat.

"Go on, try it." The Doctor encouraging just before the TARDIS shook.

"Doctor?" Rita looked over at him.

"Distress signal. Locking on." He said. The Time Lady jumped up to help. "Might be a bit of turbulence." He said as it shook again. "Sorry. Come on, Stone, Martha. Let's take a look." He then exited the TARDIS after pulling down a lever.

"Phew, I would say that someone is cooking but last time someone said that it didn't end badly." She waved an arm in front of her face while looking around. They were currently in an extremely hot room with steam emitting and the room slightly glowing red.

"Whoa, now that is hot." The Doctor agreed with the brunette.

"It's like a sauna in here." Martha pointed out and Rita shook her head.

"It's too hot to be a sauna, oh look venting systems." She walked over to the machine and looked at the information on it.

"Working at full pelt, trying to cool down." The Doctor pointed at it. "Wherever it is we are. Well, if you can't stand the heat." Rita rolled her eyes as he opened the door and headed through.

A man and a woman then ran in their direction shouting at them. "Oi, You three!"

"Get out of there!" The woman shouted. Another woman then ran up to them. "Seal that door now!" The man shouted furiously sweating.

"Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?" The woman obviously the captain asked them.

"Are you police?" The other woman questioned.

"Why would we be police?" The Doctor asked.

"We got your distress signal," Martha informed them.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" The Doctor pointed out questioning.

"It went dead four minutes ago." The captain replied.

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to Engineering... Captain."

"Secure closure active." They heard through speakers.

The captain then frantically looked around sounding confused. "What?"

"The ship's gone mad." They turned their heads in the direction of another woman screaming and running towards them. "Who activated secure closure?" She asked. "I nearly got locked into area twenty-seven." She then looked at the three extra people frowning. "Who are you?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to talk but was cut off. "He's the Doctor, she's the Stone and I'm Martha." She then frowned slowly walking past them. "Hello."

"We'll get out of this. I promise." The captain reassured them. The Doctor frowned and shifted slightly over to the brunette. Martha then looked out of the porthole and gasped.

"Stone... Doctor..."

"Impact projection forty-two minutes twenty-seven seconds."

"What was the computer just talking about?" Rita asked taking note of what it just said. "Forty-two minutes until what exactly?"

"Doctor! Look." Martha shouted. The Time Lords ran over and looked out of the porthole the Doctor instantly grabbed Rita's hand.

"Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun." The captain told them bluntly.

"How many crew members on board?" The Doctor grabbed the captains shoulders.

"Seven, including us."

"We transport cargo across the galaxy. Everything's automated. We just keep the ship spaceworthy." A man informed.

"Call the others, we'll get you out." He looked at Rita who nodded. The Doctor then let go of the brunette's hand running over to the door that was closed earlier.

"No, don't!" The captain cried as the Doctor opened the door getting knocked down by the blast of heat. Rita and Martha ran over to him. Rita crouching down and holding him tightly knowing fully well what that meant.

"But my ship's in there!" He shouted.

"In the vent chamber?" A man asked.

"It's our lifeboat." The Doctor shouted as Rita helped him stand up.

"It's lava."

"The temperature's going mad in there. Up three thousand degrees in ten seconds, and still rising." The woman read off of the dial.

"Channelling the air. The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that rooms going to get." The man informed them.

"We're stuck here." Martha hissed.

The Doctor looked at Rita and Martha worryingly. "So, we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun. Simple. Engineering down here, is it?" He asked.

"Yes." The captain replied. The Doctor and Rita lead the way rushing down to the engine room.

"Impact in forty twenty-six."

"Blimey, do you always leave things in such a mess?" The Doctor asked.

The captain looked around gasping. "Oh, my God."

"What the hell happened?" A woman asked looking around, seeing all of the ship in pieces.

"Oh, it's wrecked." Another woman told them.

"Looks like someone knew what they wanted and what they were doing, this doesn't look like some accident," Rita said looking around.

"Where's Korwin? Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?" The captain asked.

"No."

"You mean someone did this on purpose?" Martha asked.

"Mhm" she hummed.

The captain ran over to an inter-comm and began to speak into it. "Korwin, Ashton? Where are you? Korwin, can you answer?" She then moved away from the inter-comm running a hand through her hair. "Where the hell is he? He should be up here."

"Oh, we're in the Torajii system." The Doctor realised looking at a monitor. "Lovely. You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

"Yeah. Feels it." She muttered.

"And you're still using energy scoops for fusion? Hasn't that been outlawed yet?" He asked the captain, she worryingly looked over to one of her crew then answered.

"We're due to upgrade next docking. Scannell, engine report."

Scannell ran over to the monitor and sighed. "No response."

"What?"

He ran over to the controls. "They're burnt out. The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

"Oh, come on. Auxiliary engines. Every craft's got auxiliaries." The Doctor took his glasses off.

"We don't have access from here. The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."

"Yeah, with twenty-nine password sealed doors between us and them. You'll never get there in time." Scannell replied

"Can't you override the doors?" Martha suggested.

"No. Sealed closure means what it says. They're all deadlock sealed."

"Great." Rita sighed. "Our sonics are no use with that then."

"Nothing's any use. We've got no engines, no time, and no chance." Scannell groaned already losing hope.

"Oh, listen to you." The Doctor scoffed. "Defeated before you've even started. Where's your Dunkirk spirit? Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated. Reckon I know most of them. Sorry. Riley Vashti." Riley replied hoisting a large red bag on his back

"Then what're you waiting for, Riley Vashti? Get on it."

"Well, it's a two person job. One, a technish for the questions, and the other to carry this. The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh, Captain?" He held up a large piece of red metallic equipment.

"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh, Riley?" The captain joked.

"Try and be helpful, get abuse. Nice." Riley muttered

"I'll help you. Make myself useful." Martha volunteered.

"It's remotely controlled by the computer panel. That's why it needs two." Riley went to head.

"Oi. Be careful." The Doctor warned her.

"You too." She nodded at the Doctor then Rita. "The both of you."

A male voice then came through the comm sounding worried. "McDonnell. It's Ashton."

"Where are you?" The captain ran over asking. "Is Korwin with you?"

"Get up to the med-centre now!" They shouted. The Doctor and Rita ran past them all heading up to where they guessed the med-centre.

"Impact in thirty-four thirty-one."

"Argh! Stop it!" A man cried struggling against an older man and a younger frightened woman, his eyes tight shut getting forced into what looked like an MRI scanner.

"Korwin, it's Abi. Open your eyes, I need to take a look at you." The woman told him.

The Doctor and Rita ran in with the captain their eyes widening at the sight. The captain ran over concerned about what was going on. "Korwin! What's happened? Is he okay?"

"Help me!" He cried out. "It's burning me!"

"How long's he been like this?" The Doctor asked taking out his sonic screwdriver.

"Ashton just brought him in," Abi informed holding Korwin down with all her strength.

"What are you doing?" The captain asked stepping forward.

"I wouldn't get too close," Rita warned.

"Don't be so stupid. That's my husband." The captain told her stepping forward and moving next to Korwin.

"And he's just sabotaged our ship."

"What?"

"He went mad. He put the ship onto secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls." Ashton said.

"No way." She shook her head. "He wouldn't do that."

"I saw it happen, Captain." Ashton protested.

The Doctor looked at the struggling man and calmly spoke to him. "Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."

"I can't!" He screamed trying to fight off Ashton and Abi holding him down.

"Yeah, course you can. Go on." The Doctor encouraged.

"Don't make me look at you, please." He cried out.

"All right, all right, all right. Just relax." He said. Rita then picked up the hypo-gun from a counter.

"Sedative?" She asked.

"Yes." Rita then sedated Korwin and his body went limp.

"Thank you, Stone"

The captain looked at them slightly shaking with worry. "What's wrong with him?"

"Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings." He answered. "Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bio scan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail."

"Just doing them now," Abi told him.

"Very good." Rita nodded. "Do you have anyone else at all showing these symptoms?"

"Not so far," Abi replied pressing the screen of a monitor.

"Well, that's something."

The captain stood up and ordered to know what's going on. "Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?"

"Some sort of infection." The Doctor answered. "We'll know more after the test results. Now, allons-y, back downstairs." He ordered then slowly forced her away. "Hey. See about those engines. Go. Hey. Go. " The captain then followed Ashton out of the room.

"Call us if there is any news." He told her. "Any questions?"

"Yeah. Who are you two?" She asked as they went to head through the door.

"I'm the Doctor."

"And I'm the Stone." They then left heading back towards engineering.

"Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bio-scan?" The Doctor asked through the inter-comm at engineering.

"He's under heavy sedation. I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know." She replied.

"Martha? Riley? How're you doing?" He then asked.

"At the door to twenty-eight." She replied.

"Martha you got to try and move as fast as you can," Rita spoke up.

"We're doing our best."

"I know you are, keep going."

"Find the next number in the sequence three, one three, three, three, one, three six, seven." They heard Riley on the comm.

"What?" Riley asked.

"You said the crew knew all the answers," Martha told him.

"The crew's changed since we set the questions," Riley replied causing Martha to groan.

"You're joking."

"Three seven nine." The Doctor and Rita both replied high fiving each other.

Martha frowned. "What?"

"It's a sequence of happy primes. Three seven nine."

"Happy what?" Martha asked him.

"Just enter it." He ordered.

"Are you sure? We only get one chance."

"Riley we know it's correct," Rita reassured him.

"Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number." He explained. "Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number that is both happy and prime. Now type it in! I don't know, talk about dumbing down! Don't they teach recreational mathematics anymore?"

"It seems as if they don't, slightly disappointing." Rita sighed.

"We're through!" Martha shouted.

"Keep moving, fast as you can and, Martha, be careful. There may be something else on board this ship. "

"Talk about worrying her." Rita rolled her eyes.

"Any time you want to unnerve me, feel free."

"Will do, thanks." He joked.

"Impact in thirty fifty." The computer reminded them.

"Don't remind me." Rita groaned.

"We'll get out of this." The Doctor told her taking her hand in his.

"I know." She sighed resting her head on his shoulder. "You know I'm starting to dislike us arriving on ships near stars and black holes." She joked causing him to chuckle.

"You and me both." He nodded looking at her, her head against his shoulder.

"I can't believe our lives depend on some stupid pub quiz. Is that the next one?" They heard Martha ask through the inter-comm.

"Oh, this is a nightmare." Riley groaned reading the question. "Classical music. Who had the most pre-download number ones, Elvis Presley or The Beatles? How are we supposed to know that?"

"We need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time. Come on, think. Resources." The Doctor asked McDonnell. "What have we got?"

"Doctor, Stone?" They heard Martha.

"What is it now?" The Doctor asked causing Rita to hit him on the arm.

"Rude" she pointed out. "And not ginger." She then added smirking.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"Sorry, Martha continue" Rita rolled her eyes at the look the Doctor was giving her.

"Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles. That's pre-download." Rita groaned at the question not actually sure of the answer herself.

"Elvis." The Doctor answered then changed his mind shouting through he comm. "No! The Beatles!"

"I don't have a clue." Rita sadly shrugged.

"No! Wait!" The Doctor shouted again. "Er, er. Oh, what was that remix? Er, I don't know. we're bit busy."

"Fine. I'll ask someone else." Martha told them.

"Now, where was I?" He asked Rita who just shrugged. "Here comes the sun. No, resources. So, the power's still working, the generator's going. If we can harness that. Ah!" He jumped causing Rita to jump at the sudden outburst.

"Use the generator to jump-start the ship." McDonnell finished.

"Exactly. At the very least, it'll buy us some more time."

"That is brilliant."

"Well he is." Rita shrugged.

"So are you." He winked at her causing the brunette to roll her eyes. "Tiny glimmer of hope."

"If it works." Scannell muttered.

"Oh, believe me. You're going to make it work." McDonnell remarked.

"That told him." The Doctor laughed watching Scannell walk away.

"Impact in twenty nine forty six." The computer reminded them again.

"Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me." Abi shakily picked up the intercomm.

He ran from the monitor he was looking at over to the intercomm picking it up and speaking in to it, Rita watching from the monitor. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Korwin's body's changing. His whole biological make-up." She shakily answered sounding terrified. "It's impossible." She gasped reading the results.


	21. 42 - Two

A loud scream then came through through the comm close to the Time Lords, instantly the sprinted straight towards the med-centre, the cries they couldn't mistake to be Abi begging, her voice shaking for help. "This is Med-centre. Urgent assistance requested!"

"Urgent assistance!"

"Stay here!" The Doctor shouting as he ran. "Keep working!"

"Urgent assistance!" She cried again.

"You jinxed it," Rita shouted after him.

"Come on even you knew there would be trouble here." He remarked running towards the med-centre.

"Okay, you have a point now come on!"

"Captain?" They turned around and groaned seeing McDonnell and Scannell running behind them.

"I told you to stay in Engineering." The Doctor protested standing in front of Scannell.

"I only take orders from one person round here." He told the Doctor.

"Oh, is he always this cheery?" The Doctor looked at the captain.

"He has a point, kind of." Rita shrugged continuing to run to the med centre. They stopped hearing a high pitched scream.

"That can't be good," Rita commented picking up the pace and running to the med-centre with the Doctor.

"Doctor, what were those screams?" Martha asked concerned.

He sighed and looked at Rita shaking her head mouthing for him to tell her to not worry. "Concentrate on those doors. You've got to keep moving forward."

"Impact in twenty-seven oh six."

"Korwin's gone." Scannell looked around the room then noticed the figure burned onto the metal x-ray shield and gasped. "Oh, my God. Tell me that's not Lerner."

The Doctor and Rita slowly walked over, he lightly drew his finger on the edge of the burn. "Endothermic vaporisation. I've never seen one this ferocious."

"Burn with me," Rita muttered. "This is powerful."  
She looked at the Doctor slightly worried.

"That's what we heard Korwin say," Scannell mumbled thinking back.

"What? Do you think?" She shook her head not wanting to believe what they were suggesting. "No way. Scannell, tell him. Korwin is not a killer. He can't vaporise people. He's human!"

"His bio scan results." The Doctor picked up the results. "Internal temperature, one hundred degrees!"

Rita looks over his shoulder her eyes widening. "Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen."

"Your husband hasn't been infected, he's been overwhelmed." The Doctor looked at McDonnell sadly.

"The test results are wrong." McDonnell jumped up snatching the results from them.

"But what is it, though?" He ran a hand through his hair. "A parasite? A mutagenic virus? Something that needs a host body, but how did it get inside him?"

McDonnell then snapped at him angrily. "Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment."

"Where's the ship been? Have you made planet-fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?" The Doctor asked.

"What is this, an interrogation?" McDonnell asked.

"McDonnell I know this is hard, but we have to stop whatever it is before anyone else is killed." Rita calmly spoke not wanting to antagonise the woman anymore.

"We're just a cargo ship." She told them turning around running a hand through her hair and breathing deeply.

"If you give her a minute." Scannell turned around with McDonnell.

McDonnell turned back around towards them. "I'm fine. I need to warn the crew." She walked up to the comm and spoke through it. "Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

"Understood, Captain," Ashton replied. "Erina? Get back here with that equipment. He ordered.

McDonnell looked at Rita and the Doctor sitting on a step close to tears sighing she asked: "Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?"

The Doctor looked at the woman sadly. "I don't know."

"Don't lie to me, Doctor. Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest, so I don't want false hope." She demanded the answer. Rita looked at the Doctor then back at McDonnell, sighed and sadly answered. "I'm sorry McDonnell. There isn't a way back, your husband is dead. That parasite is too strong and aggressive."

"Thank you." She nodded at the brunette wiping her now glassy eyes.

"Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this?" The Doctor asked. "Nobody's working on anything secret? Because it's vital that you tell us." He sternly reminded her.

"I know every inch of this ship." She snapped. "I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."

"Then why is this thing so interested in you?" He asked.

"I wish I knew." She sighed.

"Stone, Doctor, we're through to area seventeen," Martha informed them through the comm.

"Keep going you've got to get to area one and reboot those engines." The Doctor reminded her.

"McDonnell I'm only asking because sometimes the Doctor doesn't ask with the kindest voice, there is nothing you have done or know about that could have possibly brought that on board?" The brunette asked quietly trying to talk as calm and softly as she could.

"I know nothing of how it got on board." She breathed deeply trying to stay calm.

"Thank you." She nodded. "I'm sorry about him." Her eyes glanced over to the Doctor who had his back to her talking to Martha through the inter-comm. "He can just get a little worried sometimes, our ship is stuck and were heading towards the sun, even if he won't admit it I will for him."

"It's okay." She shrugged. "At least you guys have each other."

"Oh, you don't mean? Because we're not." She shook her head. "He's my best friend."

"You two are close." She pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess..." She looked over to him watching him talk then pulled her eyes away. "Right, best head back to engineering." She jumped up from where she was sitting beside McDonnell causing the woman to slightly jump at the sudden movement.

McDonnell then stood up as well, the Doctor placed down the comm and they headed back to engineering.

"Doctor!" They heard Martha screaming through a comm as they walked through the storage area.

"Doctor! Stone! We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock." She screamed. "One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've got to help us! Tell me you can stop it."

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell asked.

"Stay here!" He shouted. "I mean it this time! Jump start those engines!" He sprinted out heading for Martha. Rita ran after him moving as fast as she could trying to get to her friend.

"That's enough!" The Doctor shouted. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me."

"Doctor!" Rita ran up beside him just as Ashton threw his fist through the keypad.

"Come on. Let's see you. I want to know what you really are." The Doctor calmly spoke gritting his teeth. Ashton stood in front if the Doctor nose to nose. The Doctor pushed Rita behind him as Ashton raised his hand to the visor but then doubled over in pain.

"Airlock sealed." The computer stated. Ashton then pushed his way between Rita and the Doctor back to the ship the Doctor grabbed the intercom to warn the others.

"McDonnell? Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected, just like Korwin!" He shouted. Rita ran over to the window and gasped then started to scream hitting it shouting for Martha.

"Stone!" Martha shouted hitting the window of the pod then shouting for the Doctor as well when he ran beside her.

"I'll save you!" He shouted.

"Martha!" Rita screamed. "We will get you back!"

"I'll save you!" The Doctor screamed again as the pod slowly moved away.

"No." She started to shake watching it get smaller and smaller. The Doctor pulled her to his chest tightly wrapping her in a hug. "She's gone." She started to sob into his chest tightly gripping onto the lapels of his suit.

 _"We will get her back."_ He softly spoke into her mind rubbing her back. Before grabbing the inter-comm with the hand not around her shouting into the comm. "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area seventeen now!"

"What for?" He asked.

"Just do as he says!" Rita turned her head screaming into the intercom while tightening her grip on him. She already lost one friend, she didn't want to lose another. It broke him just as much as it broke her. She couldn't witness that happen again because it broke the both of her hearts.

"I can't let you do this." Scannell protested as the Doctor finished messing with the space suit he was now wearing.

"Scannell no matter what I or anyone else says he won't listen, there is no point in trying to stop him." Rita coldly told the man.

"He wants to open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No one can survive that." Scannell snapped back at her.

"He can." Rita firmly told him.

"You open that airlock, it's suicide. This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect him." Scannell told them.

"If I can boost the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetise the pod. Now, while I'm out there, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines."

"Doctor, will you listen!" Scannell shouted. "They're too far away. It's too late."

"We're not going to lose her." He shouted back then looked at Rita. "Stay here and don't leave until I get back, I don't want to find Ashton has done something to you."

"I won't move an inch." She smiled softly. "I'll try not to, might have to slightly move, however." She smirked and hugged him. "You better not be an idiot." She whispered placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll try not to." He smiled then placed on his helmet squeezing her hand and then moving to the air lock.

"Decompression initiated. Impact in twelve fifty-five." The computer informed.

Rita watched as the Doctor slowly made his way to the outer airlock. _"You can do this."_ She closed her eyes, trying to send him the strength to do this.

 _"I have to."_ He replied breathing deeply before opening the outer airlock gritting his teeth then climbing outside and reaching for the row of buttons. "Come on!" He shouted. "Go on, my son!"

She heard him screaming and shouting. Tightly shutting her eyes she told him through her mind to keep on going as long as he could, reminding him that he was doing this to get Martha back and that his best friend was waiting for him on the other side.

The Doctor then climbed back inside as the escape pod began to be pulled back. Rita cried out in pain feeling as if her head was on fire while being forced back. "Oh no." She gasped clambering back to her feet widening her eyes, "Doctor!" She shouted running over to his side as staggered out of the airlock throwing his helmet down and squeezing his eyes shut. He reached out and gripped onto her whining in pain. "Sweetheart!" She cried clearly seeing him in distress she pulled him away from the airlock. He then collapsed to the floor pulling the brunette with him. Still having his grip on her she reached for his head placing her cheek against his. "Tell me what's wrong," she said in a soothing voice. "What happened." He cried out in pain again his breathing increasing. Rita looked up seeing Martha climb out of the pod.

"Doctor!" She shouted running over to them. "Stone is he okay?" She asked in a shaky voice.

The Doctors eyes then opened briefly and a white light shone as he coldly shouted: "Stay away from me!" He then cried out in pain tightening his eyes "Rita!" He cried.

"I'm right here." She soothed stroking his hair back. "I'm not going anywhere."

"What's happened?" McDonnell came running in.

"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!" The Doctor shouted squirming in Rita's arms.

"Riley, get down to area ten and help Scannell with the doors. Go!" She ordered.

"You mined that sun. Stripped its surface for cheap fuel. You should have scanned for life!" He cried out again screaming in pain making both of Rita's hearts ache.

"I don't understand." She said scared and confused.

"Don't you ever listen!" Rita shouted looking up from the Doctor. " _You_ mined the sun!"

"That sun is alive. A living organism. They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!" He shouted again jolting in sharp pain. Rita began to rock back and forward holding the Doctor tightly close to her.

"What do you mean?" McDonnell asked. "How can a sun be alive? Why is he saying that?"

"Because it's living in me."

"Oh, my God." She gasped stepping back and holding a hand to her mouth.

"Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!" He screamed.

"It takes too long." McDonnell made an excuse causing Rita to glare at the woman. "We'd be caught. Fusion scoops are illegal."

"Shush." Rita soothed rubbing his head almost gasping at how hot it now felt. "We will fix this sweetheart, I promise you we will."

"You've got to freeze me, quickly." He gasped again continuing to squirm in the brunette's arms.

"What?" Martha asked.

"The stasis chamber," Rita explained. "We have to make it below minus two hundred. We have to freeze it out of his system." She explained her own voice shaking.

"Stone it'll use me to kill you if you don't." He cried gripping on to her tighter than he was before. "The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-centre, quickly! Quickly!"

"Martha help me!" Rita shouted trying to pull the Doctor up. Martha and McDonnell then ran over helping the Time Lady take the Doctor to the med centre.

"Sweetheart stay strong." Rita cooed as Martha helped pull him into the med centre. "Martha the instructions go." She ordered. Martha then ran over and started flicking through the pages.

"I can do it!" She cried out.

"Stone! where are you?" The Doctor screamed not feeling her near him.

"I'm right here sweetheart and I'm never leaving." She promised. "Martha help me get him in the stasis chamber!" She shouted pulling him over. Martha ran over and helped the Time Lady put the Doctor into the chamber. "Minus two hundred Martha," Rita told her.

"No, you don't know how this equipment works. You'll kill him. Nobody can survive those temperatures." McDonnell protested.

"In a matter of fact I do know how this equipment works thank you very much and he is not human and neither am I, so unless you are a Time Lord and you know that he can't survive this shut up and listen to me when I say he can!" She snapped at the woman.

"Let me help you, then."

"You've done enough damage." Martha hissed.

"Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take." He cried. "No more. Stone!"

"Doctor I am right here." She squeezed his hand tightly.

"It's burning me up. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all."

"No you won't because we're going to fix this and then we will get out, we have so much to do and see Doctor, so many things to do together. I'm not leaving you ever because I-" she paused then deeply swallowed. "Because you are my best friend and I need you by my side Doctor, I can't be alone you can't leave me." Her eyes started to become glossy with tears as she spoke feeling everything overwhelm her at once. "I need you, Doctor."

"I'm scared! I'm so scared!" He cried.

Thickly swallowing she shook her head slightly. "I know, my sweetheart. I know you're scared." She softly stroked his forehead slightly hissing at how high the temperature was. "You have to stay strong." She kissed the side of his head. "Please. I need you to stay strong," she whispered.

"It's burning through me." He cried out in pain.

"Martha There's this process, this thing that happens if I'm about to die." He cried out.

"Shush. Quiet now. Because that is not going to happen the Stone said it won't. Are you ready?" She asked.

"No." He cried. Martha looked at Rita who forced the Doctor out of her grip and a nodded stepping next to Martha as she used a joystick to roll the Doctor in before punching in the numbers. The stasis chamber then began to drop in temperature. tears began to fall from the brunette's eyes as she heard his screams and cries of pain.

"Heat shields failing. At five percent." The computer stated. The stasis chamber then shut down as the Doctor cried out.

"No! Stone! Martha!" He cried. "You can't stop it. Not yet."

"What happened?" Martha looked at McDonnell.

"Power's been cut in Engineering."

"But who's down there?"

"Leave it to me." McDonnell then ran out.

"It needs to come back on." Rita started to sob. "I can't be the only one." Tears started to form in Martha's eyes as she pulled the shaken Time Lady into a hug trying to comfort her. "I can't be the only one."

"Come on. You're defrosting." Martha whined seeing the frost no longer on the Doctors body.

"Martha, listen!" He cried out. "I've only got a moment. You've got to go!"

"No way." She shook her head.

"Get to the front. Vent the engines. Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them."

"I am not leaving you." She stated then looked at Rita. "Either of you."

"Martha you have to go, give back everything what they took because I'm not leaving him, never."

"Please go!" He cried.

"I'll be back for you two." She then ran off. Rita started to pace around running a hand through her hair hearing the Doctors screams.

"You have to fight it, Doctor. I can't be the last, I'm so scared to be alone, I need you with me, we have so much to see in the universe, so much to do together, I need you beside me." She cried crouching down to the floor in a ball whimpering at the thought of being alone. "I need my Doctor with me. Please don't leave me alone." She sobbed tears streaming down her face escaping her shaking body. Her head jolted up at the sound of a thud. The Doctor had climbed out of the chamber. "No!" She screamed running over to him. "You have to stay in there!"

The Doctor pushed her away gritting his teeth he crawled across the floor. "Get out!" He screamed trying to stop himself. "Get out of here Stone! I can't fight it anymore!"

"No!" She shouted. "I promised you I would stay with you! And I am not breaking that promise!"

The Doctor screamed in pain as his eyes opened. "Burn with me. Burn with me Stone." She swallowed hard and ran out before seeing it closing the door behind her.

"Martha!" She shouted into an intercom. "It has to be done now! He can't fight it anymore!" Rita then fell to the floor crying and shaking beside the door. She heard the agonising screams from the Doctor before there was nothing but silence. Thinking that he was gone she shakenly got up slowly looking through the window in the door to see the Doctor looking back to himself lying on his back. "Doctor!" She shouted wrenching the door open and running to him diving to the floor, placing her head in the crook of his neck. "You're okay" she murmured. "I got you, your okay." She soothed as he breathed deeply placing an arm around her pulling her closer to him. "I was so worried about you." She cried feeling a lump in her throat. "I thought you-" she burst to tears not able to speak, just keeping him close to her. "I'm sorry." She sniffed. "I'm sorry for everything."

"Shush." He rubbed her back. "I'm okay, we're okay." He pulled her closer breathing deeply.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered leaning her head against his looking into his soft brown eyes.

He frowned slightly not understand what she meant before his eyes then widened feeling a pair of lips on his. The Doctor slowly closed his eyes returning the kiss pulling her even closer as he lay on the cold floor.

Pulling away for air she started to chuckle resting her head against his. "I... I..." she looked around frantically before closing her eyes as he moulded his lips with hers again.

Not saying another word Rita then stood up helping the Doctor to his feet before Martha came running in embracing them both in a hug. "You saved him, Martha." Rita chuckled giving the woman a hug back.

"Thank you." The Doctor grinned while laughing with the two girls.

"This is never your ship." Scannell chuckled walking around the TARDIS.

"Compact, eh? And another good word, robust."

"Look at that barely a scorch mark on her." Rita patted the TARDIS. "Literally survives anything. Exactly like her driver." Rita smirked at the Doctor who rolled his eyes.

"We can't just leave you drifting with no fuel," Martha told them.

"We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities'll pick us up soon enough." Riley explained to Martha.

"Though how we explain what happened?"

"Just tell them." The Doctor spoke up. "That sun needs care and protection just like any other living thing." The Doctor and Rita then slipped into the TARDIS.

"Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to be back in here."

"Hmm, I know that feeling." He hummed walking over to the console the brunette following.

"Are you okay?" She asked him. He looked down at her then rested his forehead against hers sighing.

"I'm fine. I promise." He kissed her cheek then rested his head against hers again. They stood there for a while. Both of their eyes closed just knowing that they were both alive.

"So." Martha entered the TARDIS walking over to the console. "Didn't really need you in the end, did we?" She then looked up noticing how scared they both looked holding on to each other for dear life as if the thought of letting go even for a brief moment would cause one of them to permanently lose the other. "Sorry. How are you two doing?" She asked. Rita sighed hugging the Doctor then moving away sitting down in the jumpseat as the Doctor ran around the console.

"Now, what do you say?" He burst out in a happy mood, he was never one to talk about his feeling to people, the only person he actually remembered telling his feeling to was Rita, his Stone. "Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha. Fancy it?"

"Whatever you like." Martha shrugged.

 _"I think she deserves another 'frequent fliers privilege.'"_ Rita winked at the Doctor who nodded in understanding.

"By the way." He cleared his throat looking over at Rita who nodded for him to go on. "You'll be needing this." He brought out a TARDIS key on a chain. Martha looked at the Doctor who was deadly serious. Her eyes then flicked to the Time Lady's who held a proud grin on her face with her arms crossed.

"Really?" She asked holding out her hands. The Doctor then lowered the key into hers.

"Frequent flier's privilege." He paused then added: "Thank you." Martha smiled for a moment before her eyes widened remembering something, she took put her phone. Rita let out a chuckle as Martha dialed her mother's number placing the phone to her ear and walking out of the console room.


	22. Human Nature

**This is probably one of my favorite episodes to write since the episode was so open that I was able to change so much. I hope you all enjoy my version of** ** _Human Nature_** **as much as the original episode!**

 **I also apologies for the late updates since I've had a ton of assignments due in at college last week so I couldn't get the second chapter ready until today.**

* * *

 _"Get down!" The Doctor shouted pushing Martha and Rita out of the way as a green laser hit the console creating a spark causing Martha to scream. The Doctor slammed the TARDIS doors shut then ran to Rita pulling her into a tight hug. The Doctor let go shortly after the embrace and ran over to the companion holding on to her shoulders giving her a serious look. "Did they see you?"_

 _Martha stuttered looking at Rita who held the same equally serious expression as the Doctor. "I don't know."_

 _"But did they see you?" He repeated._

 _"I don't know. I was too busy running." She replied._

 _"Martha, it's important. Did they see your face?" He asked her again._

 _"No, they couldn't have." She quickly replied._

 _"Andiamo!" Rita shouted running around the TARDIS with the Doctor pulling levers and pressing buttons. Rita then stopped at the monitor running a hand through her hair. "No, no, no." She read the Gallifreyan off of it. The Doctor then ran round looking over her shoulder._

 _"They're following us." He muttered._

 _"How can they do that?" Martha asked looking at them worryingly. "You've got a time machine."_

 _"And they have stolen technology, I never agreed on anyone other than Time Lords having access to time travel, and people wondered why." She raised her voice._

 _"They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator." The Doctor explained. "They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe." He then began to mutter to himself pacing back and forth, Rita carefully watched him. "They're never going to stop, unless." The Time Lady's eyes widened._

 _"Doctor you can't, there has to be something else."_

 _"I'll have to do it." He looked at her dead in the eye._

 _"Doctor there has to be another way, please I'm begging you, don't do this." She pleaded holding his arms. "Please anything."_

 _"There is no other way, they will just keep following us and you know it._

 _"But what about me." She rested her head against his mumbling. "What am I going to do."_

 _The Doctor swallowed for a moment. "The day I found out that you disappeared I took something, something of your mothers, well yours, something your mother gave to you but you never used."_

 _"What did you take?" She asked her eyes widening._

 _"It was the necklace your mother gave you left Gallifrey with me the second time."_

 _"You don't mean-" she looked at him in shock._

 _"I do." He reached into his pocket and brought out a golden necklace with what looked like to be in the shape of a stone._

 _"But why?" She blurted out._

 _"I know you had an argument about it with your mother and forced yourself to not bring it, it hurt me to know that you disappeared most likely..." He swallowed closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I took it with me."_

 _"I don't even know if it works, she never tried it, never had a reason to," Rita muttered watching the Doctor place the necklace in her hand._

 _"You'll have to think of something, I know you will." She swallowed then nodded. The Doctor then turned to Martha again gripping her shoulder. "Martha, you trust me, don't you?" He seriously said to her._

 _"Of course I do." She answered automatically then looked at Rita slightly scared for what was going on./mutes_

 _"Because it all depends on you." His eyes drifted to Rita's for a moment, she nodded knowing fully well that before she could go anywhere near the Doctor, as a human she would have to get used and remind herself how to 'be human' again._

 _"What does?" She asked. "What am I supposed to do?" The Doctor then ducked under the console grabbed something then came back up and held what looked like an ordinary pocket watch._

 _"Take this watch, because my life depends on it. This watch, Martha. The watch is..."_

Groaning slightly from another random dream John Smith had he yawned before getting up. Hearing a knock on his door he loudly called for them to enter the room. The maid then entered carrying a breakfast tray. She turned around suddenly seeing that Mr Smith wasn't fully dressed. "Pardon me, Mister Smith." She apologised. "You're not dressed yet. I can come back later."

He shook his head while putting on a dressing gown. "No, it's all right, it's all right. Put it down. I was er. Sorry, sorry." He scratched his head. "Sometimes I have these extraordinary dreams."

The maid set down the breakfast at the table before drawing the curtains intrigued by what he was saying. "What about, sir?"

"I dream I'm this adventurer. This daredevil, a madman. The Doctor, I'm called. And last night I dream't that you were there, as my companion." He then up in thought. "There was a woman as well, brilliant, mad woman, she called herself 'the Stone' a name for a woman who looked so cold but who looked as beautiful as a ruby."

She snapped her eyes in his direction before pretending to shrug it off. " A teacher and a housemaid, sir?" She said not mentioning Rita not knowing what would happen. "That's impossible." She explained.

"I'm a man from another world, though." Mister Smith replied.

"Well, it can't be true because there's no such thing."

"This thing." He walked over to the mantle and picked up the watch which was placed there. "The watch is-" he then shook his head losing the thought. "Ah, it's funny how dreams slip away. But I do remember one thing; it all took place in the future. In the Year of Our Lord two thousand and seven."

The maid then picked up the paper lying on the tray after setting out the breakfast. "I can prove that wrong for you, sir. Here's the morning paper. It's Monday, November tenth, nineteen thirteen, and you're completely human, sir. As human as they come." She then placed it down.

"Mmm, that's me. Completely human." He hummed.

Martha sighed quietly scrubbing the tiled floor. She noticed the Doctor who was now 'John Smith' who thought he was human walking past. She smiled politely. "Morning, sir."

"Yes, hi." He quickly replied before heading up the stairs.

"Head in the clouds, that one. Don't know why you're so sweet on him." Jenny a friend Martha had made in the few months she had worked at the school commented while scrubbing the floor beside Martha.

"He's just kind to me, that's all. Not everyone's that considerate, what with me being..."

"A Londoner?" Jenny asked chuckling.

"Exactly. Good old London town." They laughed before two boys stopped interrupting them.

"Er, now then, you two. You're not paid to have fun, are you? Put a little backbone into it."

"Yes, sir." Jenny quickly replied apologising. "Sorry, sir."

"You there, what's your name again?" One of the two nodded at Martha.

"Martha, sir. Martha Jones."

"Tell me then, Jones. With hands like those, how can you tell when something's clean?"

"Excuse me, boys?" They turned hearing a female voice behind them making Martha blink recognising that voice anywhere. "These ladies are putting a fine good backbone into their jobs." She walked over wearing a fine dark purple 1913 styles dress. "I would appreciate it very much if you allowed them to continue their work."

"And you are exactly?" One of the boys asked eyeing the woman.

"My apologies. I'm the new Science teacher Miss Stone, I assumed that you boys knew I was arriving?"

"A woman as a teacher?" One of them looked at her shocked his eyes almost popping out of his head.

"Is there an issue with a female as a teacher?" She asked raising a brow.

"No ma'am" he quietly replied.

"What are your names?" She looked between them then tutted after neither of the boys replied. "Excuse me miss?" She looked over at Martha

"Jones, Martha Jones."

"Ah, Martha Jones, lovely name, would you be so kind to give me these boys names, they seem to think it is rather amusing to interrupt a woman hard at work."

"Baines and Hutchinson ma'am."

"Well, Baines and Hutchinson." She nodded at them both as Martha smirked at Rita. "I very much suggest that the two of you head in the direction of your next class, I, however, will be heading in the direction of the headmaster's office to explain to him the attitude that is definitely one of what a gentleman should not have towards a lady no matter of her class or colour." The boys looked at each other for a moment before they both rushed off heading towards their next lesson.

"My apologies for their appalling behaviour to you both." She headed over to Martha and Jenny. "Miss Jones, would you be so kind to help me find my classroom? I have only just arrived and managed to find my room myself." She looked at Martha. "Then I can find the Headmaster."

"Of course ma'am." Martha stood up and walked away with 'Miss Stone' following.

After ensuring no one was outside the classrooms Rita closed the door and sighed. "It's been a long time since I have seen you, Martha Jones." She grinned at the woman.

"Too long." She gave the Time Lady a large hug. "How have you been?"

"Not too bad, I just came from where I technically used to live, in the Parallel universe. Ever heard of Bath?" She asked. Martha nodded in response.

"I was teaching there for a month, physics of all thing." She muttered fondly rolling her eyes, something of the Doctor definitely rubbed off on her. "Reminds me of a few old memories. Anyways, how is Mister Smith." She raised a brow.

"It's hard to explain, he's just so, so..."

"Human?" Rita asked chuckling a little. "Oh, I can only image, scares me a little to think about. How was settling in?"

"It was hard to get used to at first, but I managed."

"And him?"

"Fitted in perfectly."

"Of course, I knew he loved this era, it would only make sense that his human self-lived in it. And what about the dreams?"

"He mentioned you today actually."

"He did?" She raised a brow crossing her arms and slightly leaning against her desk. "And what did he say about me?"

"He described you as a 'brilliant, mad, beautiful woman."

She chuckled a moment. "Even in his dreams as a human, he lies about me. When am I mad?" She asked looking at Martha.

"You do say Andiamo...

"It's Italian." She protested. "It means let's-' go... okay I see your point there Martha he does say Allons-y" She shrugged walking behind her desk. "I'm sorry I hadn't come sooner. I had to get back into well, acting human, it's a lot less difficult when you aren't trapped in a watch. Speaking of which is it safe?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I do have one thing I am worried about, however..." Martha quietly muttered.

"And that is?" Rita asked.

"There is this Nurse, Joan Redfern, he's getting quite close to her..."

"A nurse?" Rita chuckled. "Do you think she's part of the family?"

"No, it's like he likes her."

"Well then," Rita nodded before shrugging. "We can't do anything about that."

"What about you? I thought you and him...?"

"Martha, John Smith and the Doctor and completely different people I assure you that." She explained. "If it was an issue I would be calmly yet angrily storming around trying to find him, but I'm not, I'm here because I know that it isn't him and since when have me and him?"

"The way you both act around each other." She shrugged.

"Martha we have been best friends for centuries, way back when he was only friends with someone I knew."

"If you say so." Martha shrugged.

"I best prepare for my class now." She sighed pinching the bridge of her nose.

Martha nodded heading out. A few moments later she rushed back into the class while Rita was looking through old books. "He's fell down the stairs." Sighing Rita followed after Martha who looked more worried than Rita was.

Martha ran in causing Rita to pinch the bridge of her nose again as she entered the room shaking her head "Is he all right?" Martha worryingly asked.

"Excuse me, Martha. It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking." the nurse Martha obviously was speaking about said.

Martha nodded before running back to the door knocked on it and then ran back pulling Rita with her. "Sorry. Right. Yeah, but is he all right? They said you fell down the stairs, Sir." Martha looked at him.

"No, it was just a... tumble, that's all." He whined again as Joan touched his head.

"That looks a little more than a tumble," Rita spoke up. Joan and Mister Smith looked at her confused, Mister Smith looked more like he was daydreaming. "Apologies." She nodded. "I'm the new science teacher, Rita Stone."

"Rita Stone." Mister Smith muttered before wincing again. "That sounds familiar."

"I know a few people with that name," Rita muttered. "Joan I know it isn't my field but have you checked for a concussion?"

"I have." She practically snapped at the Time Lady. "And I daresay I know a lot more about it than you."

"Of course, I was only concerned since Mister Smith seemed to be a bit of pain." She muttered. "May I take a look? I promise I will be gentle. I tend to keep my promises."

He swallowed looking down before nodding. Rita then moved over and gently moved his hair away looking at his head. "Well, it seems that there are no cuts, not even a scratch. You will most like have a headache for a few hours up to a few days as you have most likely been told already."

"Actually I haven't." He slightly moved his head looking at Rita.

"Well then, now you know." She smiled.

"Sorry. I'll just tidy your things." Martha muttered turning around and giving Rita a look as if to say 'see what I have had to deal with?'

"I was just telling Nurse Redfern, Matron, about my dreams." He explained looking at Rita. "They are quite remarkable tales. I keep imagining that I'm someone else and that I'm hiding."

"Hiding? In what way?" Matron asked.

"They're almost every night. This is going to sound silly."

"Sometimes silly is always better, a friend used to tell me that," she muttered. "I'm sure it isn't silly Mister Smith," Rita reassured him.

"I dream, quite often, that I have two hearts."

"Oh," Rita mumbled. "Not that is odd, quite an imagination there Mister Smith, I think it's brilliant. I could double check if you wished."

Mister Smith looked at Matron who then handed a stethoscope to Rita. She placed it on the left side of his chest and sadly to her ears could only hear one heart something that once sounded so 'normal' when feeling her own heart months ago now sounded so foreign.

"Definitely one heart Mister Smith." She shrugged off the pang of hurt in her hearts. "Brilliant imagination, however."

"I have er, I have written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction. Not that it would be of any interest."

"I'd be very interested." Matron muttered. Mister Smith was, however, looking at Rita who was looking out of the window. She shook her head snapping out of her daydream too busy thinking about what the Doctor would most likely say about the dress she was wearing. Something that for an odd reason she thought about a lot lately. Whether it was because she was missing her best friend or something more were two opposites.

"Apologies, it seems that sometimes my own head gets the better of me." She smiled at him. "You were saying Mister Smith?"

"I wrote down some of these dreams in the form of fiction." He repeated. "Not that it would be of any interest." He added.

"Oh really?" Rita asked. "These dreams sound brilliant." He then stood up and walked over to a bookshelf.

"Well, I've never actually shown it to anyone before." He handed the book to Rita who then handed it to Matron who stood between them.

"Matron also wished to see," Rita added. Marron smiled a little a little opening the book.

"A Journal of Impossible Things." Matron read off of a page. She then turned it, there was writing all over it with drawings on top. "Just look at these creatures." She muttered.

"Some of these are beautiful," Rita nodded looking at the pages, slightly shivering at the page holding a drawing of a Dalek. Why had the Doctor never told her he could draw? Centuries and centuries they had known each other for and this was how he was telling her?

"Such imagination."

"It's become quite a hobby." He explained.

"Hobbies are always good." Rita nodded.

"And quite an eye for the pretty girls." Matron looked at Mister Smith who shook his head. Rita looked down at the page feeling her hearts sink as she saw a drawing of Rose.

"Oh no, no, she's just an invention... This character, Rose... I call her, Rose." He then muttered making Rita's hearts sink even further than she thought possible. "Seems to disappear later on."

Matron turned the page again and a drawing of the TARDIS appeared. Rita felt the corner of her mouth twitch upwards, she hadn't seen her in over a few months now and really missed her.

"Ah, that's the box. The blue box." He pointed out. "It's always there. Like a like a magic carpet. This funny little box that transports me to far away places."

"Like a doorway?" Matron asked.

"Mmm." He hummed. Matron then turned the page and Rita's eyes widened. Nine drawings, nine drawings of nine woman. She gulped seeing a drawing of her current body in the corner.

"Ah." Mister Smith fondly smiled. "That's the Stone, well the Stone in her diffident bodies, sometimes I call her, Rita."

"I never knew my name was that common." Rita chuckled.

"You even look like her." Matron pointed at the drawing in the corner.

"How does she change her face?" Rita asked changing the subject off of her.

"I don't remember, but she's almost always there, she sometimes left for a while at some points but then always came back.

"I have to say they are beautiful drawings." Rita nodded.

"I sometimes think how magical life would be if stories like this were true."

 _'So did I'_ Rita thought sighed to herself. "Honestly Mister Smith-"

"Please call me John."

"John." She corrected. "Your Hobby is brilliant, very imaginative and the detail in the drawings is magnificent."

"Oh, it really isn't." He blushed slightly looking at the floor.

"Miss Stone is right, these are truly amazing, may I borrow this to read, unless Miss Stone wishes to read it?"

"Oh no thank you." Rita shook her head. "After just settling here I am far too busy for any hobbies of my own. I have classes to prepare for. Goodbye John, Matron, Martha." She nodded to them all and then headed out, back to her classroom.

"I don't understand why I had to come with you, Martha honestly I'm so tired." Rita ran a hand down her face as they walked around the small pub while Jenny sat outside in the dark and the cold waiting for them both. "Can't I just go and rest, all I need is an hour."

"Haven't you been sleeping?" She asked.

"I've been trying to drag out how long I can go without sleep. When I try to sleep... Something isn't right."

"You can sleep later. Do you want to meet in your classroom tomorrow? I would say what for but it's not something we should say." She whispered lowering her voice.

"Of course." Rita nodded "just after lunch?".

Martha nodded then shivered, walking outside the pub holding two drinks while Rita held another as they wondered over to Jenny. "It's freezing out here. Why can't we have a drink inside the pub?"

"Now don't be ridiculous." Jenny scoffed. "You do get these notions! It's all very well, those Suffragettes. but that's London. That's miles away."

"But don't you just want to scream sometimes, having to bow and scrape and behave. Don't you just want to tell them?"Martha questioned.

"I don't know. Things must be different in your country." Jenny then glanced at Rita for a moment.

"Yeah, well they are. Thank God we're not staying." Martha muttered.

"You keep saying that," Jenny replied.

"Just you wait. One more month and we're as free as the wind. I wish you could come with us, Jenny. You'd love it!" She breathed.

"Martha I'm sure she would but this isn't the time for our dreams."

"Where are you going to go?" Jenny asked ignoring Rita.

"Anywhere. Just look up there. Imagine you could go all the way out to the stars." Martha pointed up at the sky. Rita sighed missing the feeling of being up there.

"You don't half say mad things." Jenny shook her head.

"That's where I'm going. Into the sky, all the way out."

Martha noticed a flash in the sky and Rita jumped up staring at where it was.

"Did you see that?" Martha asked.

"I definitely did," Rita answered.

"See what?" Jenny asked

"Did you see it, though?" She stood up. "Right up there, just for a second." She pointed to where she saw it in the sky.

"Martha, there's nothing there." She protested. They turned noticing Matron running up to them.

"Matron, are you all right?" Martha asked as Matron came to a stop breathing deeply.

"Did you see that? There was something in the woods. This light."

Mister Smith then arrived walking up to them. "Anything wrong, ladies? Far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you-"

"There, there. Look in the sky." Matron interrupted.

"Oh, that's beautiful." Jenny breathed looking up at it. Rita looked around in alarm knowing exactly what it most likely was, she wasn't one hundred percent sure if it was

. She definitely didn't like it though.

"All gone." John sighed. "Commonly known as a meteorite. It just rocks falling to the ground, that's all."

"You know science then?" Rita asked impressed.

"Of course, my grandfather used to enjoy the subject."

"I'm impressed, John." She grinned. "I seem to be saying that a lot lately not many people make me say that either."

"It came down in the woods." Matron told them as John slightly blushed at the brunettes comment.

"No, no, no. No, they always look close, when actually they're miles off." John shook his head. "Nothing left but a cinder."

"Again that's correct." Rita chuckled. "Are you sure you don't teach science, John?"

"I'm sure about that. Now, I should escort you back to the school?" He asked.

"I think I'll stay out for a little while, I don't have any early classes tomorrow."

"You said you were getting tired earlier Miss Stone." Martha interrupted.

"I'm fine." Rita protested.

"Honestly, Rita it is not trouble at all." He said making her blink. He had called her miss Stone throughout the day. Now he was calling her Rita as if it was natural. Not even a fob watch could stop small parts of the Doctor seeping through. "I was heading back myself." Rita silently groaned glaring at Martha while no one was looking at her.

"If you insist." She nodded.

"Ladies?" He asked the rest of them as they shook their heads.

"No, we're fine, thanks." Martha replied.

"Then I shall bid you goodnight." He walked off with Rita who continued to glare and narrow her eyes at Martha.

"So John," Rita muttered after she was no longer in distance to glare at the woman. "I was thinking while in one of my classes today of who I should look for, which boys cause the most trouble, who should I aim to assist and so on."

"Well, they are all brilliant." He replied and she nodded.

"All in their own ways."

"Exactly what I was going to say." He looked at her a little shocked.

"I had- have a friend." She sighed. "He said things like that. Brilliant, amazing things."

"And what is of him now?" John asked interestingly.

"He- he's back home. I'll see him again one day." She shrugged. "Still, he's brilliant."

"He sounds like a man I would love to meet."

"Oh, you have no idea." She muttered under her breath.

"Ah, here we are." He nodded as they walked towards to the school.

"There was honestly no need to walk me back John." Rita shook her head.

"It is cold and dark, you shouldn't have to walk back alone."

"You truly are a gentleman." She chuckled.

"I try." He shrugged a little. "Rita just out of curiosity have you had a look around the village at all yet?"

"Sadly I haven't had the time." She sighed. "I would love to, villages always interested me, I lived in a city, not a big city but still."

"I could always give you a tour tomorrow?" He suggested.

"Are you sure? Don't you have classes?"

"Not until afternoon."

"I would have to reschedule with Martha Jones. She wanted to help me with some things."

"We could always change the day?"

"No, no." She shook her head. "Meet in my classroom?" She asked. "My last class should end just after twelve."

"Of course" he nodded. "I shall see you tomorrow Rita."

"John." She nodded heading inside the school.


	23. Human Nature - Two

"Sorry that we had to change the time Martha." Rita apologised walking with her friend on the stone path towards an old barn.

"It's fine, what changed though?" She curiously asked.

"Oh well, Mister Smith offered to show me around the village, I can't say no to that offer because we have no idea how much longer we will be here for. Hopefully it isn't too long, but still."

"You and him are getting quite close." She raised a brow.

"No Martha." Rita chuckled. "He was just being polite."

"You like him."

"I like no one." She sternly protested.

"You kissed the Doctor." She reminded her.

"I did not!" She squeaked as her eyes widened a little.

"You _so_ did!" Martha pointed at Rita happily. "You do love the Doctor!"

"I... I..." she stuttered diverting her eyes in every possible direction but the human in front of her. "Martha Jones we will not mention a word of this. Not to him, not to anyone."

"But you kissed him before? Didn't he say anything to you?"

"No, he didn't." She shook her head. "He probably thought I would run off again." She ran a hand through her hair. "Oh this is my worst nightmare, ten thousand Daleks, that's nothing compared to..." she swallowing looking at the floor before muttering under her breath. "Loving the Doctor."

"Sorry, what was that?" Martha teased cupping an ear to hear better.

"I said, 'Loving the Doctor'." Rita sighed shaking her head.

"If you wish to not mention it to him I won't." Martha hummed opening the door to the old barn. Rita followed and beamed patting the TARDIS.

"Hey, there old girl." She patted the door once more then followed Martha inside.

"You're talking to a machine." Martha laughed.

"Oh, she's more than a machine, TARDISes were not built but grown, in a way they are alive. She hums and talks to me sometimes, very rarely though." Rita walked up to the console patting the rotor.

"You miss him don't you?" Martha sadly asked.

"It would be lying if I said that I haven't missed him since he said he would have to do it." Rita sighed. "Working in Bath was driving my crazy, I had little to no time to myself and the boys at the private school were not the best behaved."

"That's terrible," Martha muttered. "How are you so formal when around him?" She then asked leaning against the console.

"I mentioned about my parents once correct?" She asked and Martha nodded. "Well I had to repeatedly talk like that, the habit broke but sometimes old habits are still there, like an echo waiting to be restarted again." She explained then looked at the monitor. "Have you looked at what he left?"

"Yeah." Martha went over to the monitor and pressed a button. A pre-recorded video then appeared.

"This working?" The Doctor from before he changed tapped the screen. "Martha, before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human: One, don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like. Two, don't worry about the TARDIS. I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it. Just let it hide away. Four. No, wait a minute, three. No getting involved in big historical events. Four, you. Don't let me abandon you. And fi-" she then started to fast forward the recording.

"I'm guessing he was ranting on about pears." She chuckled. "If we could do this in real life it would be brilliant."

"If only."Martha chuckled with the brunette.

"And twenty-three." The recording started again. "If anything goes wrong, if they find us, Martha, then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me, the Stone will be safe in Bath, she shouldn't come back until this is all over so you don't need to worry about her. It's all down to you, Martha. Your choice. Oh, and thank you." He smiled. Martha paused it and sighed.

"I wish you'd come back."

"So do I," Rita muttered. "He'll be back soon and we will be out of here. I'm sorry this has happened, Martha."

"So am I... don't you have any classes?" She asked.

"Not yet. I only have one this morning which finishes just after twelve."

"How did you even get a job as a teacher?" She questioned.

"I'm a Time Lady." She grinned. "I have my ways of getting things."

"You didn't?" She gasped.

"What?" The Stone frowned before her eyes widened. "No!" She laughed. "Dear Rassilon no, I just managed to convince the headmaster."

"Okay." Martha nodded before sighing. "I best go now." Martha sighed.

"I'll walk back to the school with you." Rita smiled. They then patted the console one last time then exited the TARDIS and headed back to the school.

"Oh no..." Rita muttered to Martha walking towards the school. "This isn't something I expected to see... ever."

"Are you okay?" Martha asked seeing a look of slight horror on her face.

"It isn't him. I'm fine." She reassured the woman shaking her head yet slightly shaking at the sight she never even thought about seeing.

"Concentrate." Mister Smith ordered standing slightly behind a row of boys holding guns and firing. "Hutchinson, excellent work." He praised.

"Cease fire!" The Headmaster walked out.

"Good day to you, Headmaster."

"Your crew's on fine form today, Mister Smith."

Rita sighed shaking her head. "I'll see you later Martha." She walked over to where Mister Smith and the boys were.

"Excuse me, Headmaster," Hutchinson spoke up. "We could do a lot better. Latimer's being deliberately shoddy."

"I'm trying my best." He protested.

"You need to be better than the best. Those targets are tribesmen from the dark continent."

"That's exactly the problem, sir. They only have spears."

"Oh, dear me. Latimer takes it upon himself to make us realise how wrong we all are. I hope, Latimer, that one day you may have a just and proper war in which to prove yourself. Now, resume firing."

They started to fire again. Rita flinched at the sight. Latimer completely missed the targets and the firing stopped again. "Stoppage. Immediate action. Didn't I tell you, sir? This stupid boy is useless." He spat. "Permission to give Latimer a beating, sir."

"It's your class, Mister Smith." The headmaster looked at him.

"Permission granted."

"Perhaps," Rita stepped forward not wanting any violence, something she knew the Doctor would no doubt hate himself for later. "Perhaps Latimer could assist me in bringing some books to my class, I need them for my next lesson and I will have to make at least three trips to collect them all myself."

"Mister Smith?" The Headmaster raised a brow at him.

"Yes, very well." He nodded then looked at Latimer. "Of you go boy."

"Come on, there not that heavy," Rita told him walking off with the boy following her. "You shouldn't let them boys push you around." She quietly told him heading into the school. "I saw you in my class yesterday, you are quite clever, brighter than a lot of the boys in your class, don't let them keep you behind."

"Thank you, miss." He nodded.

"Miss Stone?" She looked up from her desk after tidying the last of her notes from the previous lesson away.

"Mister Smith." She smiled seeing him at the door. "You kept your word I see."

"I tend to keep my promises." He chuckled quoting what she had said when they had met.

"Ah you did listen when I said that I keep to my word." She nodded. "I just need to place a few more things away." She told him placing them into a draw. "There." She smiled.

"Shall we go then?" He asked. She nodded and followed him out of her classroom.

"Do you enjoy seeing them handling weapons?" Rita asked walking through the village with John.

"What do you mean?" He asked slightly frowning at her.

"The boys, do you enjoy seeing them handling weapons learning how to fight and kill?"

"Don't you think discipline is good for them?"

"But does it have to really be that kind of discipline? I know someone who was in a war, one of my closest friends... it changed him. Not in a good way either."

"I feel the deepest sympathy for your friend then." He nodded.

"I suppose." She muttered.

"You mention this friend a lot as if you have known him for years."

"I have." She nodded. "Known him for years, feels like centuries." She muttered. "I bet you and him would have quite a lot on common."

"I bet we wouldn't." He chuckled. "He sounds like everything I am not."

"What do you mean?" She frowned.

"Well, he sounds extremely clever and amazing."

"And you're not?" She raised a brow.

"Not clever enough to just allow those boys to fight it seems."

"Everyone has their opinion." She replied. John looked at her and nodded before his eyes drifted to a woman on a bike ringing her bell, they then moved to a few men pulling a rope struggling to keep it in the air.

"Yes but he seems," his eyes drifted to the rope which started to fray. "Seems so," John then noticed a boy with a cricket ball in his hand standing near them. "So," John then grabbed the cricket ball and threw it at scaffolding outside of the building they were opposite. It fell and hit a plank causing a brick to be launched into the air, knocking a churn of milk. A woman with a pram stopped just before it as the piano fell.

Rita raised her brows at the sight then looked at John who shrugged. "Lucky."

"I have seen many extraordinary things, that was nowhere near luck."

"Rita, might I invite you to the village dance this evening, as my guest?"

"I don't see why I not." She chuckled. "You're impossible."

"You spoke as if you were jealous of my friend earlier." Rita chuckled walking through the field with John.

"You frequently compare the both of us."

"As I mentioned earlier, you both have a lot in common. Although I don't believe he ever mentioned a skill of drawing and to think I have known him for years and ai never questioned if he ould or witnessed him draw.." She chuckled. "I'll have to ask him that when I next see him."

"All these years and you don't know if he can draw?" John asked sounding bewildered about the topic...

"He likes his secrets." She shrugged.

"Perhaps he could draw you? If he can draw.. perhaps I could draw you as well..."

"And I could compare your skills?" She raised a brow finishing his sentence "Are you sure?" Rita asked him. "Do you have any classes when we get back?"

"No." He shook his head. "Completely free. So?"

"Alright then, if it helps with practice for you I don't see why not."

John sighed placing down the book as Rita raised a brow signing as well. She wasn't used to sitting still for s long period of time, let alone doing completely nothing.

"Yes, would you like to take a look?" He asked moving from where he was sitting opposite the brunette to now sitting beside her.

She looked at the drawing for a moment then raised a brow. "Are you sure I look like that?" She questioned. "You know I think you drew me before." She then pointed to a slithereen on the page next to the drawing of herself.

"Most definitely this page." He gently moved her hand pointing at the sketch of her. "Do you like it?"

"I'm not one to judge beauty, but you made me look far too beautiful." She chuckled.

He looked into her eyes for a moment before softly replying. "Well, that's how I see you."

"Are you sure?" She softly asked. "I know a good few who would very much disagree with that."

"I don't." He whispered before leaning in and softly kissing her. Rita's eyes widened for a moment, every inch and bone of her body told the brunette to stop, to pull away but she didn't.

"I've never..." John stuttered like a lost child. Rita didn't even think, his eyes looked exactly the same as _his._ She didn't even think about it before leaning into him and softly kissing his lips. He wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her closer deepening the kiss as she placed hers around his neck.

The door then opened and the two jumped away from each other, Rita looked down out of embarrassment feeling heat rise to her cheeks as the sound of someone came running in. "Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" John snapped. Rita's eyes widened, her head jolting upwards seeing the look of slight shock of her friend who looked between the two and then ran out of the room.

"Martha!" Rita shouted jumping up to head after her friend.

"Rita, I'm sorry." He muttered looking down guilty for what just happened.

"No." She said her voice slightly cracking, shocked by what just happened. "I'll see you tonight John, she's just shocked." Rita then ran out wanting to explain herself to Martha. She looked left and right not seeing Martha there she sighed leaning her head against the wall.

Later that evening Rita headed to Johns study after deciding on a dark blue dress which had an even darker blue of silk at the front with a pattern of different flowers on the sides and back matched with black slip on flats and of course the golden necklace with the Stone hiding the Time Lady from the family.

John looked up his mouth slightly dropping at the sight. "You... you look beautiful." He blushed walking over to her smiling softly.

"You'd best give me some warning." She teased "Can you actually dance?"

He thought for a moment then answered unsurely. "I'm not certain."

"Of course." She lightly chuckled. "Is there anything you're certain about?"

He looked at her then stepped forward taking her hands in his. "Yes. Yes." Leaning forward he kissed her again. Rita felt the wave of guilt flow through her once more. John then deepened the kiss, she forced the guilt away as John continued to kiss her, for his comfort she repeatedly told herself. Not her own.

They then pulled away as Martha burst in. John sighed out of annoyance moving his hand away from Rita's cheek.

"They've found us." Martha blurted out looking at Rita her face full of worry.

"Martha please don't tell me it's what I think it is."

"Martha, I've warned you." John started but was then cut off.

"They've found us, and I've seen them." She breathlessly explained. "They look like people, like us, like normal. I'm sorry, but you've got to open the watch." She then frantically searched the mantlepiece for it. Rita's eyes widened not seeing it there. "Where is it? Oh, my God. Where's it gone? Where's the watch?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked then looked at the brunette confused. "You had a watch. A fob watch. Right there." She pointed to the mantle.

"Did I? I don't remember."

"Martha don't." Rita warned stepping in front of her. "It will only make things worse, let me handle it please."

"But we need it." She protested. "Oh, my God, Doctor, we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny and they've possessed her or copied her or something, and you've got to tell me, where's the watch?" He stepped aside from Rita and in front of John.

"Oh, I see." He blinked then looked at Rita and muttered: "Cultural differences" Before turning back to Martha. "It must be so confusing for you." She nodded thinking he understood. "Martha, this is what we call a story."

"Oh, you complete. This is not you." She waved a finger at him. "This is nineteen thirteen."

"Good. This is nineteen thirteen." He calmly told her.

"I've sorry. I'm really sorry, but I've got to snap you out of this." She then slapped him right across the face.

"Martha!" Rita grabbed her arm. "Outside now." She firmly ordered dragging her outside then shutting the door. "Okay now tell me, you said they have Jenny."

She frantically nodded. "They know we're here. They know something with Mister Smith and-"

"Do they know about me." She cut in gripping the woman's shoulders. "Martha if they know it makes it ten times worse, I can keep him safe but if they know about me then they will try and take either of us.

"I don't think they do."

"Okay." She sighed. "That's good enough, go to the TARDIS, see if the watch is there." Martha nodded sprinting off. Rita sighed entering the room once again shutting the door behind her. John snapped his head up looking slightly angry and terrified.

"The nerve of it." He muttered seeing Rita. "The absolute cheek. You think I'm a fantasist? What about her?" He pointed to the door.

"But, you did have a watch." Rita muttered in protest then looked down at the floor then up into his eyes her own turning slightly sad.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side Rita." John said walking with Rita towards the village hall a few minutes after the incident with Martha.

"Normally my friend stopped me. Sometimes not even he could." She chuckled thinking about all of the times where the Doctor had stopped her, held her back before.

"You've taken my arm in public." He informed her. Rita blinked and looked down not even realising that she infact had taken hold of his arm.

"I guess it would be a lie if I said I wasn't slightly scared.

"Spare a penny for the veterans of the Crimea, sir?" An old man holding a tin with a few pennys inside asked. John nodded digging his hand not with the brunettes into his pocket before bringing out A couple of pennys and dropping them into the tin. "Yes, of course. There you are." He again nodded hearing the clattering of the penny's before smiling at Rita then headed inside.

Upon walking in there were many tables set out with white clothes over them. A few people were stood around talking in groups or as couples. After a few minutes of talking a man then spoke up. "Ladies and gentlemen. Please take your partners for a waltz."

"Well Rita." John turned to the brunette. "Would you like to accompany me in a dance?" He held out his hand raising a brow.

"I believe that is why they call it a dance John." She chuckled not able to help smiling, she remembered all those times before where she insisted on the Doctor actually attempting to get better at dancing, not that she was any better. Placing her hand in his John slowly brought her over to the dance floor.

The village band then began to play. They started to move around the room and Rita chuckled looking down. "It seems that you can dance."

"I surprise myself." He laughed before bumping into another couple. "Sorry."

"Or maybe not." She laughed.

She couldn't help but feel guilty as John headed off to get some drinks, Rita watched as Matron watched people dancing around with a saddened look on her face, the brunette knew of Matrons feelings towards John. Sighing Rita stood up and slowly made her way over to the woman sitting at her table all alone. "May I sit here Matron?" She asked. The woman almost jumped not noticing the brunette standing there. Slowly she nodded in approval, the Time Lady then smiled and sat down. "I know your feelings towards him." She glanced over to John chatting as he waited for the drinks. "And I'm sorry."

"Why?" She asked slightly frowning as her own eyes moved away from watching John.

"When you talk to him he's different from any other man you have met, correct?" Rita looked at Matron seriously.

"Yes." She replied looking slightly confused at where Rita was going with this conversation.

"I'm guessing that there are times where he has mentioned these strange things, strange brilliant, beautiful things." Her eyes then twinkled smiling as what the Doctor sometimes said before she looked at Matron turning serious again. "Like people and places that you have never heard of. But it's deeper than that. Sometimes when you look into his eyes you can see and you know, yoy just know that there's something else in there. Something hidden away in the dark."

"I don't know what you mean." She looked at the brunette strangely as if she was forcing herself not to listen. Rita opened her mouth to speak again however Martha ran over breathing heavily.

"Martha!" The brunette beamed. "Did you find it?"

"Sadly no, but I brought something else she discreetly brought out the Doctors sonic screwdriver. "I hoped that it would bring some memories.

"Hopefully." Rita softly smiled. "Did you happen to bring my sonic?" Martha nodded bringing out the Time Ladys sonic before handing it to her. "Ah I have missed this, don't let him know that." She chuckled.

"What is going on?" Matron asked sharttering the twos conversation.

"Oh, now really, Martha." John walked over to the table his a look of disappointment and slight anger on his face. "This is getting out of hand. I must insist that you leave." Martha sighed and looked at Rita who nodded. She then held up his sonic screwdriver.

"Do you know what this is?" She asked handing it to him. "Name it. Go on, name it."

"John, what is that silly thing?" Matron asked then looked at Rita who sadly sighed.

"You're not John Smith." The brunette explained. "You're called the Doctor. The man in your journal, he's real. He's you. I'm not really called Rita, well the Doctor calls me that. I may never know why he does but he does, I'm the Stone and your a Time Lord."

"There will be silence!" Clark shouted as Baines and Jenny walked into the hall along with a couple of scarecrows. "All of you!" He ordered.

A few people started to shrink an cried out. "I said, silence!" He ordered.

A man then stepped up to confront the family. "Mister Clarke, what's going on?"

Holding up his gun Clark pointed it at the man then vaporised him. Martha quickly turned to Mister Smith. "Mister Smith? Everything we just told you, just forget it! Don't say anything." She explained. Rita slipped her sonic into her small black bag cursing under her breath for not taking a dress from the TARDIS with pockets

Baines then began to shout. "We asked for silence!" His head then slowly turned in the direction of Mister Smith who looked frightened and panicked. "Now then, we have a few questions for Mister Smith."

A young girl holding a red balloon then jumped up from a seat at one of the tables and slowly walked over to the family while smiling. "No, better than that. The teacher. He's the Doctor, and the woman, science teacher, she's the Stone. I heard them talking."

"You took human form." Baines devilishly grinned enjoying the look of horror on Mister Smiths face.

"Of course I'm human. I was born human, as were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mister Clark." He frantically said. "What is going on? This is madness."

"Ooo, and a human brain, too. Simple, thick and dull."

"But he's no good like this." Jenny hissed.

"We need a Time Lord."

"Easily done." Baines then stepped forward holding his gun.

"Change back."

"I don't know what you're talking about." John looked at him in horror.

"Change back!" He shouted again.

"I literally do not know."

Jenny then grabbed Martha pointing a gun at her head, pulling her over as she screamed: "Get off me!"

"She's your friend, isn't she?" Jenny mockingly asked. "Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"

"Leave her alone." Rita snapped glaring at her. "She has done nothing wrong, so let her go." She hissed.

"Wait a minute. The maid told me about Smith and the science teacher. That woman, there." She nodded.

"Then let's have you." Clark pointed a gun at Rita as he walked over grabbing her while placing the gun to her head.

"You have no idea who you are messing with." She hissed. "I am not one to mess with when I am angry and right now I am so angry!"

Baines looked at Rita then towards John whose face now turned to one full of shock. "Have you enjoyed it, Doctor, being human?" He asked. "Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser?" He paused then smirked. "Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? maid or Teacher? Your friend or your lover?" His face now in a full grin. "Your choice."


	24. The Family of Blood

"Make your decision, Mister Smith." Jenny spat.

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge." Rita slightly rolled her eyes at how ridiculous they sounded. The family then snapped their heads as Baines shouted: "It's him!"

Martha then grabbed the gun off of Jenny spun her around and used her as a shield while pointing the gun at Baines. "All right!" Martha shouted her voice shaking a little. "One more move and I shoot."

"Oh, the maid is full of fire." Baines mocked not looking at all worried.

"And you can shut up!" She screamed pointing the gun at the ceiling and then firing.

"Careful, Son of Mine. This is all for you so that you can live forever." Clarke warned.

"Shoot you down."

"Try it. We'll die together." Martha spat her hand violently shaking.

"Would you really pull the trigger? Looks too scared." Baines laughed.

"Scared and holding a gun's a good combination. Do you want to risk it?" The family then lowered their guns. Rita raised a brow at Martha then walked away unharmed. "Are you okay?" Martha asked quickly glancing over at Rita before her eyes snapped back to the family.

"Perfectly fine thanks." She nodded. She then sighed seeing how shaken John looked she took his hand giving it a light squeeze.

"Doctor, get everyone out." Martha then ordered. "There's a door at the side. It's over there."

Rita glanced over to the man beside her completely frozen. "Everyone do exactly what she said!" Rita shouted. "Everyone get out!"

People started running for the door screaming and shouting. Rita watched as they left. John then ordered Latimer to go as well. "And you. Go on. Just shift." Martha told him.

"What about you?" He asked.

"Mister Smith, I think you should escort your lady friend to safety, don't you?"

"Oh, no way Martha." Rita shook her head stepping away. "I'm not leaving knowing that you're in here."

"Stone you have to go." Martha told her. "Go, keep them all safe." She looked between Martha and the extremely shaken John Smith and sighed. Taking his hand she rushed for the door Matron stood outside and Rita frowned not understanding why she was still there.

"Matron?"

"I believe you." She said.

"Mister Hicks, warn the village," John ordered. "Get everyone out. Latimer, get back to the school. Tell the headmaster."

Latimer then jolted away from him. "Don't touch me. You're as bad as them." He slowly backed away then turned and ran. Rita nodded in thought and then ran off pulling John Smith with her. He then stopped forcing the Time Lady to halt.

"Your friend is in there!" He protested.

"Right now the only thing I am worried about is them getting to you!" She firmly shouted at him. "Either you come with me on your own terms or I end up dragging you to the school myself!"

"Don't just stand there, move!" Martha shouted running out of the door. "God, you're rubbish as a human. Come on!"

"That's too of us who think that, remind me to never let him do this again!" Rita shouted running down the road towards the school. They ran into the school and John closed the gate before running inside and grabbing a bell, he started to then swing it around while shouting

"I'm seriously wishing he wore the bloody necklace now." Rita groaned.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked in protest.

"Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together. Take arms! Take arms!"

"You can't do that!" Martha shouted at him.

"You want me to fight, don't you?" He asked. Rita shook her head knowing that he would only continue and was scared enough as it was. "Take arms! Take arms!"

Hutchinson then ran down the stairs. "I say, sir, what's the matter?"

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson. Enemy at the door. Take arms!" He shouted.

John then ran into an area as the boys passed out guns and started to fill them with ammunition. "You can't do this, Doctor. Mister Smith!" She shouted.

"Matron, maintain position over the stable yard. Faster now. That's it."

"John let me handle this." Rita protested.

"Absolutely not." He shook his head. "You will not be going near them. _'Still protective as ever even as a bloody human.'_

"They're just boys." Martha protested again. "You can't ask them to fight. They don't stand a chance."

"They're cadets, Miss Jones. They are trained to defend the King and all his citizens and properties."

"Oh great," Rita muttered as the headmaster stormed in.

"What in thunder's name is this? Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain very simply and immediately exactly what is going on?" He shouted causing all of the boys to freeze in what they were doing.

"Headmaster, I have to report the school is under attack." He informed stepping forward.

"Really? Is that so? Perhaps you and I should have a word in private." He suggested with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

John shook his head at the headmaster. "No, I promise you, sir. I was in the village with Miss Stone. It's Baines, sir. Jeremy Baines and Mister Clark from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir. They've got guns. They've already murdered people in the village. I saw it happen."

"Miss Stone, is that so?"

"Guns they do have but not ones we can fight." She shivered slightly.

"Murder on our own soil?" He questioned.

"I saw it. Yes." She nodded.

"Perhaps you did well then, Mister Smith. What makes you thing the danger's coming here?"

"Well, sir, they said-" he was then cut off by Matron.

"Baines threatened Mister Smith, sir. Said he'd follow him. We don't know why." Matron cut in.

"Very well." He nodded then looked at the boys in the room. "You boys, remain on guard. Mister Snell, telephone for the police. Mister Philips, with me. We shall investigate."

Martha then ran blocking the door. "No! But it's not safe out there."

"Mister Smith, it seems your favourite servant is giving me advice. You will control her, sir." Martha sighed stepping out of the way as the two men left.

"Martha we need that watch," Rita informed. "As much as I wish I could I can't do this alone, in ways I'm not as clever as him." Martha nodded then ran out of the room heading down the hall. Matron quickly followed. "John." She turned to the man looking terrified. "I'm sorry, I know you're scared, you have every right to be but I need you to stay right here, don't leave this room to go with anyone." He nodded swallowing and watching her take off down the hall.

Rita ran in as Martha was frantically searching for the watch. "I know it sounds mad, but when the Doctor became human, he took the alien part of himself and he stored it inside the watch. It's not really a watch, it just looks like a watch."

"And alien means not from abroad, I take it."

"The man you call John Smith, he was born on another world."

"A different species."

"Time Lord." Rita interrupted. "Like me, we're the last of our people. The watch looks a little like this." She brought out the old fob watch she had kept for Canary Wharf. "I changed before, he did it, saved me in fact. Without him, I would be dead."

"He must deeply care for you." Matron replied.

"We've known each other for centuries." She sighed.

"Then tell me. In this fairy tale, who are you?" She turned to Martha.

"Martha's a friend. A brilliant amazing friend." Rita smiled at her.

"And human, I take it?" Matron looked at Martha.

"Human. Don't worry. And more than that, I just don't follow them around. I'm training to be a doctor. Not an alien doctor, a proper doctor. A doctor of medicine."

"Well, that certainly is nonsense. Women might train to be doctors, but hardly a skivvy and hardly one of your colours."

"I beg your pardon!" Rita snapped knowing how much it hurt a human to be spoken to like it.

"Oh, do you think?" Martha asked before raising her hand. "Bones of the hand. Carpal bones, proximal row. Scaphoid, lunate, triquetral, pisiform." She pointed to them all. "Distal row. Trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate. Then the metacarpal bones extending in three distinct phalanges. Proximal, middle, distal."

"You read that in a book." Matron scoffed not wanting to believe it.

"Yes, to pass my exams." Martha laughed. "Can't you see this is true?"

"I must go." Matron started to head off.

"If we find that watch, then we can stop them," Martha told her.

"Those boys are going to fight. I might not be a doctor, but I'm still their nurse. They need me."

"Let her go Martha." Rita sighed. "We need that watch because I need him back just as much as you do."

"We all need him back." She muttered picking up more items and moving them around searching for the watch. "Why didn't the family just take you there and then? They already have you so why did they need him?"

"They may be smart but it also seems that they just like any living thing can also be a little thick at times, they knew I was something but they didn't know exactly what. Charmeleon arch in a neckless, my mother definitely was a genius at times, again any living thing can also be a little thick at times." She reminded Martha trying to imply that her mother was not always a woman she looked up to. They turned their heads towards the door seeing Matron sprint in heading for the window. Frowning both Rita and Martha followed her. The brunettes eyes widened at the sight. "Oh he is definitely going to kill me now." She ran a hand through her hair. "Death for letting the Doctor carry a gun."

They watched from the window as the boys started to tear up while the pounding continued on the large doors, the wood keeping them closed soon gave way and snapped allowing all of the scarecrows inside.

They heard the piercing ringing from the gunshots outside, the bullets tore through the scarecrows which then fell to the floor. "Come on," Rita muttered running out of the room heading towards the front.

"Mister Rocastle!" Martha shouted running outside after Rita. "Please, don't go near her."

"You were told to be quiet." He snapped.

"And I tell her to speak." Rita firmly interrupted. "Martha continue."

"Just listen to me," Martha begged. "She's part of it. Stone, tell him."

"She is one of the family, sir I recommend you step away from her."

"Mister Smith." Martha looked at him.

"She was, she was with, with Baines in the village."

"Mister Smith, Miss Stone, I've seen many strange sights this night, but there is no cause on God's Earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir." He then held out his hand for the girl. "Come with me."

She then chuckled. "You're funny."

"That's right. Now take my hand."

"So funny." She laughed then produced a ray gun vapourising the headmaster. John and the boys flitched back as Rita gritted her teeth holding her tongue back knowing that if she snapped they would only kill her and then cause a regeneration, something that wasn't ideal at this moment.

"Now who's going to shoot me." Lucy the child looked at them. Gaining no answer she asked another. "Any of you, really?"

"Put down your guns." John ordered. Rita breathed out a sigh of relief.

"But sir, the Headmaster." Hutchinson protested.

"I'll not see this happen. Not anymore. You will retreat in an orderly fashion back through the school. Hutchinson, lead the way. "

"But sir-"

"I said, lead the way." He repeated. Baines grinned seeing the terror on the boys faces. He then shouted while pointing his gun to the sky and firing. "Well, go on, then. Run!"

"Come on!" Martha shouted as they all ran inside.

"Reanimate!" Baines screamed.

The last of the boys ran in. Rita shut the door and locked it using her sonic. "Been a while since I have done that." She muttered as John looked at her strangely. "Should keep them out for a little longer." She sighed before taking his hand and running following Martha.

They stood in the stable block telling all of the boys to get out as they ran past. "Let's go. Quick as you can." John ordered them.

"Don't go to the village. It's not safe!"Martha shouted

"And you, ladies." John turned to them.

"You think I'm going to leave when there are aliens that want you?" She scoffed interrupting him. "No one can stop me." She warned.

"Now, I insist. The three of you, just go. If there are any more boys inside, I'll find them." He reassured.

"You best not be challenging me, John," Rita warned him. "I said I'm going nowhere and that's that.

John then walked up to a door and opened it. Slamming it shut seeing multiple scarecrows on the other side. Rita locked it with her sonic. "I think, retreat."

"Andiamo!" Rita grabbed his hand again running out of the back door. They reached the bushes just outside of the school. Hearing shouting for the Doctor, Rita took the lead through the bushes heading to the front of the school.

"Oh great." She muttered. "At least they can't get it. Nothing can get through those doors." Rita smirked in thought as Clark started to shout again.

"Come back, Doctor. Come home. Come and claim your prize."

"Out you come, Doctor. There's a good boy." Baines shouted. "Come to the Family."

"Time to end it now." Jenny cooed.

Martha looked at John seeing his eye slightly twitching. "You recognise it, don't you?"

"Come out, Doctor. Come to us!"

"I've never seen it in my life." He protested staring right at the TARDIS.

"Do you remember its name?"

"I'm sorry, John, but you wrote about it. The blue box. You dreamt of a blue box." Matron added. He snapped his head in her direction shaking it.

"I'm not." He loudly whispered to the, his eyes becoming glossy with tears. "I'm John Smith. That's all I want to be. John Smith, with his life, and his job," he looked at the school then turned to Rita who looked at him her face full of sadness and guilt. "and his love. Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

"Of course he is," Rita told him.

"Why can't I stay?" He asked.

"Because we need the Doctor," Rita told him. "I need him, we all do. "

"What am I, then? Nothing. I'm just a story." He stood up quickly walking away. Rita sighed following with Martha and Matron slowly trailing behind.

"This way. I think I know somewhere we can hide." Matron told him diverting to a cottage.

"We've got to keep going." John protested heading off in the direction he was walking in.

"And go where?" Rita asked. "Matron has a good plan, it's as good as my non-exist plan."

They continued down the path before stopping in front of a cottage. "Oh, here we are. It should be empty. Oh, it's a long time since I've run that far."

"I love the running, the running is good, isn't it Martha?"

"Yep." She breathed. "But who lives here?" She then asked out of curiosity.

"If I'm right, no one."

"Let's take a look." Rita quietly replied slowly walking to the door. She tried the door which was surprisingly open. "Well, it's unlocked..." They entered the cottage which was silent and dark. "Certainly is dark in here." Rita stood leaning against the table with her arms crossed.

"Whose house is it, though?" Martha asked.

"Er, the Cartwrights. That little girl at the school, she's Lucy Cartwright, or she's taken Lucy Cartwright's form. If she came home this afternoon and if the parents tried to stop their little girl, then they vanished." Matron touched the teapot. "Stone cold. How easily I accept these ideas."

John stood up from his chair slightly shaking. "I must go to them before anyone else dies."

"Over my dead body." Rita snapped. "You're going nowhere."

"There must be something we can do."

"Not without the watch."

"But your Rita, the Stone, can't you help?"

"I can't help very much as it is. They need a Time Lord, if I go and try to stop them they will just take me instead. Oh, sometimes I wish things followed the plan." She ran a hand through her hair.

"And what about you." He looked at Martha. "You're this Doctor's companion. Can't you help?"  
He snapped shaking more than before. "What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need you?"

"Because he's lonely," Martha muttered. "They both are." Her eyes drifted over to Rita who sighed nodding in agreement.

"And that's what you want me to become." He snapped.

They turned their heads towards the door hearing a knock.

"What if it's them? " Matron whispered.

"I'm not an expert, but I don't think scarecrows knock." Martha slowly walked towards the door, Rita behind her. They slowly opened the door and frowned seeing Latimer stood there.

"I brought you this." He held out his hand.

"And I was beginning to lose hope, Martha never lose hope." She chuckled. "Thank you." Martha then took the watch from him and held it out to John who backed away terrified of it.

"Hold it." Martha held out the watch in the palm of her hand.

"I won't." He protested.

"Please, just hold it."

"It told me to find you. It wants to be held." Latimer spoke up.

"You've had this watch all this time? Why didn't you return it?" Matron asked.

"Because it was waiting." He then paused. "And because I was so scared of the Doctor."

"Why?"

"Because I've seen him. He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it." John hissed.

"He's ancient and forever." Latimer continued ignoring John and stelling forward towards him. "He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop it!" He shouted. "I said stop it."

"And he's wonderful." Latimer finished.

"I've still got this." Matron brought out the book. "The journal."

"Those are just stories." John snapped.

"But there not, you know there not John." Rita softly told him stepping closer. The cottage then violently shook.

"What the hell?" Martha gasped running towards the window with Rita.

"Oh, there not as thick as I thought," Rita muttered watching balls of fire fall to Earth in the village.

"They're destroying the village." Matron gasped.

"The watch," John muttered grabbing it from Martha.

"Can you hear it?" Latimer asked.

"I think he's asleep. Waiting to awaken." John closely looked at it in the palm of his hands.

"Why did he speak to me?"

"Well, that would be-"

"Oh, low-level telepathic field. You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing-" he then cut off breathing deeply and shaking. "Is that how he talks?"

"That's him. All you have to do is open it and he's back." Martha smiled.

"Always cutting me off." Rita shook her head fondly remembering times where he had done just that.

"You knew this all along, the both of you." He looked between Martha and Rita. "and yet you watched while..."

"I didn't know how to stop you. He gave me a list of things to watch out, for but that wasn't included."

"I didn't know what to do either," Rita muttered looking down feeling extremely guilty.

"Falling in love? That didn't even occur to him?" John looked at them shocked.

"No." Martha shook her head. "It didn't occur to him because he already was in love, with the Stone." She looked over at Rita who shook her head.

"Martha you know he doesn't-"

"He kissed you." She cut the brunette off. "After Lazarus, he kissed you."

"And he didn't mention it ever again, I ran away, I was a coward. Then I kissed him." She muttered. "Just before you came in" she nodded at Martha. "After the whole 'burn with me' I kissed him, that was two weeks before the family. Two weeks and he said nothing, Martha he made a mistake because he doesn't love me. He doesn't and will never feel what I feel. I..." her hearts started to beat madly. She hadn't said those three words since she was forced to marry. "I... I love him." She murmured looking at the ground. "But that doesn't matter because he's my best friend." She sniffed.

"Then what sort of man is that?" John asked breaking Rita's train of thought. "And now you expect me to die?"

"It was always going to end, though!" Martha shouted. "The Doctor said the Family's got a limited lifespan, and that's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said."

"So your job was to execute me."

"People are dying out there. They need him and I need him, the Stone needs him. Because you've got no idea of what he's like. I've only just met him. It wasn't even that long ago. But he is everything. He's just everything to me and he doesn't even look at me, but I don't care because I love him to bits. And I hope to God he won't remember me saying this." She said her voice slightly breaking.

"It's getting closer," Latimer said as the cottage shook more violently than before.

"I should have thought of it before." He paced around. "I can give them this. Just the watch." He held it up. "Then they can leave and I can stay as I am."

"You can't do that!" Martha shouted.

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him."

"But I'll then be the last." Rita looked up shaking her head. "You-" she swallowed closing her eyes. "You know you what I would be like. You have some of his memories, what am I most scared of? Not the Daleks, not the Cybermen or Slithreen but being alone, being the last. It terrifies me."

"He'll never let you do it." Martha snapped at him.

"If they get what they want, then, then-"

"Then it all ends in destruction." Matron cut in. "I never read to the end, but those creatures would live forever to breed and conquer, for war across the stars for every child. Martha, Timothy, lets leave them alone." They both nodded and followed Matron out of the cottage.

John broke down his head in his hands on the table sobbing. Rita sadly sighed walking over to the broken man pulling him in for a hug, he was scared, scared to 'die', scared to go. "I know, I know I'm sorry." She whispered rubbing his back.

"It was real." He cried. "I wasn't. I really thought."

"I'm sorry John, I let this happen. Here let me see the watch." She took it out of his hands looking at it. "To think that he's in here." She lightly chuckled. "I was in a watch like this one time." She sighed. "Soon he'll be back."

"And I'll be gone." He sobbed. "Can't you change back?" He asked his eyes full of plead. "You were human once, you could change back."

"I can't. I'm sorry John but I can't the universe needs him, so do I. If I changed I would forget everything, my life, my family. Her voice cracked. "'My children."

"He may never tell you." John sobbed.

"And I'll be okay with that, because it's better to have my best friend than for him to not be my friend."

John sighed placing his hand on hers over the watch. The two gasped as a vision of Rita as a human kissing John at their wedding. It then changed to John crying holding their newborn child. The vision switched again to the two holding hands walking through the countryside two young children running around them laughing. The vision finally changed to them both old with John lying on his deathbed his hands in Rita's. "They're all safe, aren't they?" He asked. "The children, the grandchildren. Everyone's safe?" Rita smiled softly at him. "Everyone's safe, and they all send their love, John."

"Well, it's time. Thank you." He then closed his eyes.

Breathing deeply Rita pulled her hand away.

"Did you see?" John gasped.

"Time Lords have quite the large amount of adventures, but he or I could never have a life like that."

"And yet I could." John sobbed.

"You have to make a choice. I can't decide for you. I'm sorry John."


	25. The Family of Blood - Two

**Three weeks off and plenty of time to space, therefore, I have decided to watch all of series 1-10 of new who and have come up with a brilliant idea for a small project. I never wrote the Ninth Doctors series, it never fit with my plot but what if the Stone never became Rita Stone? What if she left with the Doctor during the Time War?**

 **What do you think? It would only be series one of course but an AU where the Stone survives? I think it would be fantastic.**

* * *

"Just." John stuttered entering the ship Rita standing behind him. The ship rocked and he lurched against the switches pressing them.

"Just stop the bombardment. That's all I'm asking. I'll do anything you want, just, just stop." He begged.

"Say please." Baines snapped.

"Please."

"Wait a minute." Jenny interrupted deeply sniffing the air. "Still human. Both of them now." She snapped her eyes at Rita.

"Now I can't, I can't pretend to understand, not for a second, but I want you to know I'm innocent in all this, she is just an innocent as I am." He looked over at the brunette. "He made me John Smith. It's not like I had any control over it." He then tripped backwards running his hand over more switches.

"He didn't just make himself human. He made himself an idiot." Jenny cackled.

"Same thing, isn't it?"

"I don't care about this Doctor and your family. I just want you to go. So I've made my choice. You can have him. Just take it, please! Take him away." John shakily handed the watch over. Baines then grabbed him by the lapels after grabbing the watch.

"Don't think that saved your life." He pushed him away causing him to stumble backwards hitting the wall as well as the brunette.

"Family of Mine, now we shall have the lives of a Time Lord." Baines breathed opening the watch. The family then sniffed deeply looking at the pair. "It's empty!" He hissed angrily.

"Where's it gone?"

"You tell me." He threw the watch over and the Doctor caught it without looking while he looked over at Rita grinned.

"Oh, I think the explanation might be you've been fooled by a simple olfactory misdirection." He said in his normal voice standing up before holding out a hand helping the Time Lady to stand up. "Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy." He explained then looked at the controls. "But it has got to be said, I don't like the looks of that hydroconometer, Stone?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "You are quite right, I don't like the look of it either." Rita leant over looking at it.

"It seems to be indicating you've got energy feedback all the way through the retrostabilisers feeding back into the primary heat converters." The Doctor nodded. "Oh. Because if there's one thing you shouldn't have done, you shouldn't have let me press all those buttons."

"Never let a a prisoner near buttons, especially if that prisoner is the Doctor." Rita waved a finger at them. "But, in fairness, I believe he will give you a word of advice. One single three letter word." She looked at the Doctor raising a brow. He then grabbed her hand before coldly looking at the family.

"Run."

The Doctor and Rita ran out of the ship as the alarms started to blare. They heard Baines screaming behind them running in the same direction as them. "Get out! Get out!"

"I tried to warn them." Rita sighed after explaining to Martha what she and the Doctor had done to the family. "I needed to give them the choice, to walk away and die in peace hurting no one or we would give them their wish of living forever.

"After everything they did?" Martha looked at her in slight shock.

"The Doctor always gives one chance. I never gave them a chance." She replied leaning against the TARDIS beside Martha on a hill near where the village stood in her normal clothes. They saw the Doctor slowly walking up in the rain alone. Both girls sighed knowing that she declined the offer.

"Right then." He said walking up to them. "Molto bene!"

Martha looked at him hugging her arms on the cold. "How was she?"

"Time we moved on." He muttered.

"If you want, I could go and-"

He then cut her off repeating his last words. "Time we moved on."

"Er, I meant to say, back there, last night. I would have said anything to get you to change."

"Oh yeah, of course, you would. Yeah." He nodded.

"I mean, I wasn't really-"

"Oh, no, no." He shook his head.

"Good."

"Fine."

"So here we are then."

"Here we are Martha." Rita chuckled. "Told you we would back soon didn't I?" She grinned.

"I never said." He looked between them. "Thanks for looking after me. Both of you." The Doctor then walked closer opening his arms and hugging them both.

"Doctor. Martha. Stone." Latimer walked up to them.

"Tim Timothy Timber." The Doctor beamed.

"I forgot how much you opened your mouth." Rita laughed. The Doctor rolled his eyes at her then turned to the boy.

"I just wanted to say goodbye. And thank you. Because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"Tim you don't have to, your a clever boy."

"You don't have to fight," Martha added.

"I think we do." He protested.

"But you could get hurt."

"Well, so could you, travelling around with him," he nodded to the Doctor. "but it's not going to stop you. Either of you." His eyes looked over to the brunette.

"Tim, I'd be honoured if you'd take this." The Doctor handed the fob watch to him.

He held it up then looked at them. "I can't hear anything."

"It's just a watch now that he's not in there." Rita nodded patting the Doctors arm.

"But keep it with you, for good luck." The Doctor added.

"Look after yourself." Martha went over hugged him and kissed his cheek. The Doctor held open the door, Rita and then Martha headed inside.

"You'll like this bit." The Doctor grinned walking into the TARDIS himself as it dematerialised.

"That's it then." Rita sighed plopping herself into the jump seat.

"It is indeed." The Doctor chuckled sitting beside her.

"I'm going to go sleep, it's been a long night," Martha muttered quickly heading towards her room. Rita shrugged looking back at her friend then turned as the Doctor sighed. She noticed he was staring at her, she didn't know why and it made her slightly uneasy.

"Are you okay Doctor?" She asked from the jumpseat seeing the look in his eye showing that he was very much deep in though. He slowly nodded before walking over, reaching into his coat pocket bringing out a crumpled piece of paper and handing it to her without saying a word, sitting next to her on the jump seat. She frowned taking it from his hand when he held it out to her.

"Was everything you said... true?" He blurted out breaking the silence as she un-crumpled the paper revealing a drawing similar to the one 'John Smith' drew. This one however held much more detail as well as the Time Lady mid laugh in her usual clothes of her current body as well as being drawn in pencil.

"What do you mean?" She asked looking at him. "I'm assuming you drew this?" She raised a brow and he slowly nodded.

"Everything you said, everything Martha said, did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" She asked. "Doctor your slightly scaring me." She looked at him warily

"Stone." He looked into her eyes, both his hearts pounding in his chest. "Did you mean it when you said you loved me?" Her eyes snapped up to his, her mouth suddenly became very dry and she felt like her voice was trapped.

"I... why does this matter?"

"What if it _was_ true... for me?" He looked at her seriously.

"Doctor this isn't the time for one of your jokes, seriously you're scaring me."

"But I'm not." He protested taking her hand in his. "Stone..." he took in a sharp breath. Was this it? Was he finally stepping over the hurdle after knowing her for centuries, his feelings going back and forward. "I love you." He brought his hand up to her cheek softly pulling her closer placing his other hand on the back of her neck letting her lips connect with his in a slow tender kiss. His hearts pounded in his chest when her soft lips met his for the first time in a couple of months, the first time she was _sure_. Quite possibly the first and last. But he didn't care because at least he had tried. Tried to show her. To love her. It was all he could do. "I don't know why you think I don't love you, Stone." he murmured after they parted. His breath hitting her lips with how close they were to hers. The Time Lords sharing each breath they took.

"You never said anything." She muttered taken back by his previous words and actions her eyes drifting to the floor. "After the whole burn with me incident, I waited two weeks." She swallowed cringing at how impatient she sounded. "You didn't mention it... and I thought that you regretted it, that you thought it was a mistake, so I never said anything because I didn't want to hurt our friendship." She sighed looking up into his soft, warm and welcoming brown eyes. "Doctor we have been friends for centuries. I can't risk hurting that because of my actions."

"Oh Stone." He lent his forehead against hers wrapping an arm around her waist. "When I looked into your eyes they showed fear, fear of admitting it to even yourself, I didn't say anything because I didn't want to push you. I wanted you to figure it out on your own terms and not mine."

"But I still don't understand." She moved her head from his looking down at the crumpled paper in her hand. "When did you draw this?"

"When we came back to the TARDIS after sorting out the family, Matron gave me the page of a drawing of you that she found folded up in the book, it triggered some... memories and one of them you said about getting your friend to draw you, so you could then compare. It doesn't take a genius to know you were talking about me... So I drew you before coming back, it's a ruff drawing and no where near by best work..."

"I love it." She cut him off sighed happily closing her eyes then opening them looking into his shaking her head. "I love you." She swallowed suddenly becoming very nervous, seeing him frozen. _"Theta?_ " She telepathically questioned slightly scared that he wasn't replying before she saw him blink once, twice and then dart his eyes down to her lips _._

 _"I love you too."_ The Stone softly smiled and slowly leant forward tenderly kissing him again. Closing his eyes he accepted her kiss smiling into it. She placed her arms around his neck. She then pulled away to tease him while smirking.

"Cheeky." He chuckled.

"Oh, I'm the cheeky one?" She raised a brow shaking her head and smirking.

He didn't reply closing the gap between them again kissing her once more. She smiled into the kiss running a hand through his hair as they both deepened it.

 _"Stone"_ he spoke into her mind while kissing her. _"Please tell me if I'm dreamingbecause nothing like this has even happened between us before."_

 _"Definitely not dreaming Doctor."_

"Okay." She lightly pulled away a hand coming up to rest on his cheek as she smiled giving him the strength to continue knowing he was going to speak. _"What does this now means for us?"_

Shifting her eyes to gaze at the ground while she thought the Doctor forced her to look back up at him. A finger gently pulling her chin up her eyes meeting his. " _Well."_ She teasingly dragged out the word like he had done multiple times before earning a light chuckle from him, the only sound to escape his lips as she continued to telepathically speak to him. " _We_ _could.."_ she paused yet again seeing him practically begging her to continue with his eyes. _"Oh, what do humans call it. It's on the tip of my tongue."_ She sighed staring into his eyes.

 _"I have no idea what you're talking about."_ He chuckled again letting his forehead rest against hers

 _"Oh, I know..."_ she grinned. _"boyfriend and girlfriend. "_ She then gave him an uncertain look now worrying about his reply. The Stone looked down again when he didn't answer her. The Doctor noticed this, got up and gently placed a finger under her chin forcing her to look up at him.

 _"For you, I'll try anything."_ The Doctor grinned at her widely before kissing the brunette deeply slightly pushing her against the jump seat with him hovering over her using the jump seat to keep himself up. She smiled into the kiss happier that she was sharing this moment with him than anyone in the entire universe.

After Martha had woken up the Doctor agreed after Rita and Martha badgered him on to go and see Timothy after the war, they knew it lived and wanted to say thank you and goodbye.

"You knew he was a war hero didn't you?" The Doctor smirked looked at Rita as she walked with him and Martha to stand on the opposite side of the street to the quiet war memorial.

"I do my research." She winked placing a poppy on her shirt before handing one to Martha. They stood watching and Rita sighed seeing the Doctor struggling to pin his on. Rolling her eyes she took the poppy from his hand pinning it to the lapel of his suit before smiling, linking her arm with his and watching Timothy paying their respects. They nodded at the older man who sat in a wheelchair as he smiled at them a tear running down his cheek. Nodding their heads again the three silently left heading back to the TARDIS.


	26. Blink

"Of course Martha is my friend." Rita chuckled shaking her head at the previous comment he had made. "I just don't want her to know about... us yet. I don't want her to feel like a 3rd wheel all of a sudden." She explained hugging his side sitting on a sofa with the fire opposite them in the TARDIS library.

"You think Martha would think that?" He asked setting down the book he held in his hand placing it on the arm of the sofa turning to the Time Lady.

"You really are an idiot sometimes." She rolled her eyes at him. "I know she loves you, Doctor, you would have to be an idiot to not notice that, with everything that happened yesterday I just don't think suddenly springing it on her that her two friends who are aliens that she travels through time and space are now together."

"Well, now you put it that way." He hummed. "You do have a point."

"When don't I?" She chuckled placing the book she was holding down on her lap not interested in reading rather than just talking to him at the moment.

"You are very cheeky." He informed her.

"And your not?" She asked raising a brow.

"Not as cheeky as you." He smirked.

"You want to bet on that mister?" She raised a brow seeing him trying to challenge her

"I would never dare to challenge you to something like that." He paused then muttered under his breath. "Or anything for that matter."

"You know I would win." She hummed playfully kissing his cheek before grinning.

"If you say so." He shook his head as she rested hers on his shoulder sighing in the process while picking up her book again continuing to read as he did the same with an arm around her.

"I told you we should have come earlier!" Rita groaned frantically looking outside of the taxi window quietly whispering to the Doctor. "We have a bloody time machine and you decide to take us to a time where we have barely any time to get there!"

"I know, I know." He muttered shaking his head. "We'll get to the hatching." He reassured her.

"Next time I'm controlling the TARDIS." She narrowed her eyes at him. Martha laughed at the two as they glared at each other. The Taxi then stopped and they sprinted out, Martha carrying a quiver of arrows as the Doctor and Rita both had longbows slung over their shoulders.

"Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!" They heard a woman shouting.

"Hello. Sorry, bit of a rush." He pointed in the direction of Martha. "There's a sort of thing happening. Fairly important we stop it."

"My God, it's you. Both of you." She looked between Rita and the Doctor. "It really is you two. Oh, you don't remember me, do you?"

"Doctor, we haven't got time for this." Martha reminded him. "The migration's started."

"And whose fault is it that we don't have enough time." Rita crossed her arms raising her brows at the Doctor who rolled his eyes at her in return.

"Look, sorry, we've got a bit of a complex life." He continued gesturing to himself and Rita. "Things don't always happen to us in quite the right order. Gets a bit confusing at times, especially at weddings. I'm rubbish at weddings, especially my own." He muttered the last part glancing at Rita who laughed recalling the memory when he accidentally got married to a woman they had met on a planet. Apparently saving someone's life was the way most people proposed to others there.

She shook her head. "I tend to have to constantly remind him to check that he is in the right year, doesn't listen much, at least I try." She shrugged.

"Oh, my God, of course. You're time travellers." She held a hand to her mouth. "It hasn't happened to you yet. None of it. It's still in your future."

"What hasn't happened?"

"Oh so finding out the future is okay when it is yours" Rita joked.

"Stone, Doctor, please. Twenty minutes to red hatching."

"Right!" Rita said a little louder than she meant. "Martha is right we need to go."

"It was me." The woman ran a hand through her hair. "Oh, for God's sake, it was me all along. You got it all from me."

"Okay?" Rita frowned turning to the woman. "What exactly did we get from you?" She asked. The Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Okay, listen. One day you're going to get stuck in 1969. Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it." She handed the Doctor a purple plastic folder filled with multiple sheets and what looked like photos.

"Doctor! Stone!" Martha reminded them.

"Yeah, listen, listen, got to dash." He told the woman taking Rita's hand. "Things happening. Well, four things."

"Four things and a lizard," Rita added groaning at how little time they now had left.

"Okay. No worries." She nodded. "On you go. See you around some day."

The Doctor turned to go before stopping and looking back at the woman. "What was your name?"

"Sally Sparrow."

"Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow."

They watched as a man holding a bottle of milk walked up standing beside Sally, she then took his hand, Rita held in a chuckle seeing the shocked look on the man's face. "Goodbye, Doctor. Goodbye, Stone." She then turned with the man heading into a DVD store. The Doctor and Rita smiled before turning and running after Martha.

"Are you looking in that folder again?" The Doctor asked walking around the console before sitting on the grating beside Rita who was lying flat on her stomach with a lot of photos and lined paper filled with written and typed information sprawled on the grating of the console room.

"Mhm," she hummed looking up at him. "Our friend Sally Sparrow definitely was busy." She muttered picking up a photo which had the words 'Sally Sparrow duck now!' Written on a wall.

"I find it clever that she took note of all of this stuff." He said looking at some of the notes.

"I wonder how we got stuck in 1969." Rita shrugged collecting the papers and photos back up and placing them in the folder.

"Hmm so do I," he said in thought. "Something to look forward to." He grinned at her. She rolled her eyes not able to help but chuckle.

"I'm going to go and find Martha, promised to help her study, she may be able to go back home five minutes after she left with us but her memory won't as good."

"You're helping her study?" he asked.

"I may not be _a_ Doctor or be _the_ Doctor but I still know a thing or two about medicine.

"You may not be me but you're definitely my Stone" He smirked pecking her lips as she stood up. She laughed at his comment shaking her head before standing up and heading into the halls of the TARDIS to find the companion.

"The TARDIS has locked on to something!" The Doctor shouted as the TARDIS began to violently shake. "It's pulling us there!" He shouted as the Time Lords were both thrown in the direction of the jump seat as Martha was thrown to the floor.

 _"Well hello."_ The Doctor smirked.

 _"Hi"_ Rita chuckled at how close the Doctor's face was to hers.He lent a little closer. Rita rolled her eyes and moved her head forcing him to kiss her cheek instead of her lips. Laughing at his pout she then suddenly jumped up hearing Martha's groan as she started to stand up as well. The Doctor narrowed his eyes at her for teasing him and then went over to the Y beam grabbing his long coat before taking the brunettes and helping her put hers on as she did the same to him.

"Where are we?" Martha asked brushing herself off.

"No idea." The Doctor shrugged placing out his arm for the Time Lady to link hers with his. "Let's find out." He grinned looking back at Martha and then to the Time Lady stepping outside.

"Oh." Rita frowned. "It's just an old house. Still, I do love a good mystery, what am I Scooby Doo?" She laughed. Martha joined in stepping beside the brunette.

"It's giving me the creeps, it's dark and there is an old house."

"Nah." The Doctor waved it off with the arm not linked with the brunettes. "Something obviously brought us here." He shrugged. "Let's go and find out."

"Andiamo" Rita muttered. The Doctor rolled his eyes at her walking with her as Martha followed them inside the house.

They walked in and the Doctor brought out three torches from his pocket handing one to Rita and one to Martha. They started to then look around, the house looked like it had been abandoned for years with old wallpaper peeling off and the floor stone cold.

The Doctor and Rita heard a high pitched scream from the room where Martha had gone to look in. They both darted for it and saw Martha stood there backed up against the wall with an angel made of stone by the window outside. "That can't be," Rita muttered staring at it.

"Don't blink!" The Doctor said staring right at it. "Don't look away or blink!" He then felt beside him trying to find Rita's hand. Slightly sighing when he did they intertwined their fingers together. The Doctor slowly walked over to Martha and took her hand as well. "We need to get back to the TARDIS." He calmly explained. "We need to go right now, but we can't look away or blink, not for a second."

"You two keep looking at it. I'll go and bring her here." Rita suggested letting go of the Doctors hand. He tightened his grip on hers. "No." The Doctor slowly stepped back against the wall. "We will go back together." He informed them. "Stone you will have to guide us as you're closest to the door. Martha no matter what keep staring at that angel."

"What is it?" She worryingly asked.

"It's a weeping angel." Rita started to explain slowly moving over to the door the Doctor followed her footsteps carefully Martha doing the same. "One touch and they send you into the past and let you live out a life, a life in the past. You eventually die and the angels consume the energy of the possible days you could have lived." She stepped out into the hall. "When looked at they turn to stone, but when you look away, close your eyes for a second and they can be closer than you expect."

"So we could be trapped in the past?" Martha worryingly asked.

"Yep."

"Isn't that meant to happen though? That woman she said we would."

"But she never said where, we need to try." The Doctor told her as Rita turned the corner. "We won't be able to see the weeping angel in a moment. We're close to the door, on the count of three we all run for the door and sprint right back to the TARDIS."

"Okay." Martha nodded.

"One, two, three!" The Doctor shouted. They then ran straight for the door running outside they headed towards the TARDIS. The Doctor then skidded to a stop pulling Martha and Rita with him.

"Oh my God." Martha gasped at the sight seeing multiple angels around the TARDIS.

"Keep looking at them!" The Doctor shouted tightening his grip on the Time Lady's

"I am Doctor!" Rita shouted.

"Maybe she was right." The Doctor muttered. "Maybe this is how we get trapped."

"But we could end up in different time periods," Martha said.

"Not if it's the same angel." Rita's eyes widened. "That's it!" She shouted. "We have to get touched by the same one!" She laughed slightly. "Touch the same one and we get put in the same year, same time."

"But which one," Martha muttered before snapping her head around and screaming. The Time Lords eyes widened no longer seeing her there and an angel's arm reaching out for the Time Lady.

"Well, sweetheart" Rita muttered. "I think we found the angel."

"On the count of three, we close our eyes at the same time." He told her.

"One."

"Two." Rita shakily said swallowing, the Doctor rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand trying to calm her.

"Three!" He then shouted as they both squeezed their eyes shut and felt pain surging through their heads as they stumble falling to the floor.

The Doctor jolted upright then sighed seeing the brunette beside him and Martha not too far away. "God." He then groaned laying back down and touching his head in pain.

"Time travel without a capsule," Rita muttered. "Bloody painful."

"Careful not to move too fast, it will kill your head, give you a nasty headache."

"I wonder how you know that sweetheart" Rita teased. He rolled his eyes and muttered something she didn't hear under his breath.

"Are you two okay?" He then asked. "Martha?"

"I'm fine." She groaned.

"That's good." Rita chuckled then slowly sat up. The Doctor quickly did as well softly smiling at the brunette seeing that her eyes were filled with slight worry.

 _"It will be okay."_ He whispered into her mind.

 _"I don't like the feeling of just being trapped here."_ She admitted. The Doctor sighed taking her hand and bringing it up to his lips softly kissing the back of her hand before placing it on his cheeks. She smiled softly lightly rubbing his cheek with her thumb.

 _"It can't be so bad."_ He smiled softly _. "I'm here aren't I?"_

 _"That makes it ten times worse."_ She smirked. He narrowed his eyes at her playfully and leant in to kiss her before the two jolted away hearing the companion groan again.

"My head still aches," Martha complained. Rita chuckled. "Well, you have never used time travel without a capsule. It's worse the first time. Doesn't help when you move suddenly after it." She glanced her eyes over to the Doctor who rolled his at her.

"I'm guessing we're in 1969?" Martha asked. The brunette then licked her index finger before holding it in the air.

"Yep 1969, it's a Sunday." the Time Lords both groaned as Martha raised a brow at them. "He hates Sundays." Rita looked over at the Doctor. "I don't like Sundays too much either, what I really hate are Tuesdays." She shrugged. "Don't know why but I do."

"Enough about why you hate Tuesdays Stone." The Doctor slowly stood to his feet, helping the Time Lady in the process. "We're stuck here now."

"Great." She brushed herself off then helped up Martha. "Oh look at who will have to live in a house." She smirked remembering the Doctor's horrified face the last time when she was human. "Doors and carpets, Doctor." She hummed mockingly why smirking.

 _"Watch it."_ He narrowed his eyes at her.

She rolled her eyes then dove into her pockets. "Sonic." She pulled her sonic out of her pocket. "Oreos?" She pulled an unopened packet out. "Don't know how they got there." She shrugged. "Ah!" She then pulled out a small bag. "I knew this would come in handy one day."

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"A bag of money." She grinned opening the packet of Oreos before eating one then handing one to Martha. "What have you got Doctor?"

"Sonic screwdriver." He pulled it from his pocket. "Psychic paper. That's it."

"Well the money will help with somewhere to live, I'm making sure it has carpets just for you Sweetheart." She laughed. Martha frowned slightly not understanding the joke. "The Psychic paper will help with getting a job."

"Why would you need a job?" The Doctor asked. Rita then burst out laughing at him. "Oh, sweetheart." She patted his shoulder leaning against him. "Sadly I don't have an endless supply of money. By getting a job I'm talking about me and Martha, I don't think you would be able to get a job."

"I can get a job." he protested.

"I bet you can't." She mocked turning and heading down the street. "Come on Martha let's go and find a flat while the Doctor finds his own and earns enough money to live." She joked. The Doctor blinked for a minute not understanding if she was serious or not. _"Sweetheart, I'm joking."_ The Doctor then nodded and followed as Martha and Rita walked down the street chatting with the Doctor trailing behind them.

Two months passed since the three were trapped in 1969, Martha and Rita had both managed to successfully find a job for them both, working at a small clothing store. Just like Rita had said the Doctor did not find any employment at all. The three were sharing a small two bedroomed flat. Much to Rita's protest, the Doctor had reassured her that he would be completely fine on the sofa. She, however, did sometimes coax him into resting in her room every few weeks, the Doctor would always rise way before Martha woke, he knew that Rita wanted them to get used to being 'together' something they both found quite easy with the friendship they shared but of course they were too embarrassed to admit it.

The Doctor repeatedly messed around with almost every object in the flat trying to improve or 'fix' it in any way, he also repeatedly dismantled items for his 'timey-wimey detector' something both girls were not happy about at all.

"Please don't try and start a fire today." Rita sighed feeling as if she was talking to a small child rather than her boyfriend a word they both were still coming to terms with even after at least half a month.

"You know I didn't mean it!" he protested raising his voice.

"I know, I just enjoy teasing you." She laughed kissing his cheek.

"I don't." he pouted.

Rita sighed shaking her head at him. "You're such a child."

"And you're not?" He raised a brow at her.

"I'm not the one starting fires." She quietly remarked in protest.

"I heard that." He glared at her.

"Good." She grinned. "I'll try and come back for lunch so you're not lonely all day." She smiled warmly at him. "Martha shouldn't mind if I'm a little late." She shrugged.

"Rita I'll be fine." he protested.

"Sweetheart it's not you I'm worried about, it's the flat." She smirked.

"I don't think this is how relationships work Stone, I don't think you're meant to be horrible to the other."

"I'm no expert at them." Rita walked over to him. "But I think my _boyfriend_ is smart enough to tell when I am teasing him." She smirked seeing a hint of red appear on his cheeks at the mention of him being her boyfriend. "I'll try not to cause a fire." He brought back the subject from before.

"Good." She kissed his cheek again.

"I only promise if I get a proper kiss before you go?" He cheekily asked smirking. Rita rolled her eyes and leant forward. "No trying to take the toaster apart again for your timey-wimey detector." She stopped inches from his lips.

"I promise." he breathed causing the Time Lady to shiver as his breath tickled her lips before he leant forward deeply kissing her. Rita slowly pulled away turning an ever so slight red at the smirk on his face obviously pleased with the kiss.

Just as she promised Rita arrived back at lunch, she walked in seeing the Doctor slumped on the sofa in the same position she had left him in. His eyes, however, started to the door and lit brightly seeing the Time Lady walk in.

"Please don't tell me you have been sat there all morning waiting for me." She sighed sitting next to him.

"Possibly, possibly not." He smirked.

"Okay, you're coming outside with me to have something to eat." She took hold of his arm and switched the TV he had left on off with the other then grabbed her coat as well as his pulling him outside.

"If I didn't know any better it looks like you just asked me on a date." He smirked. Rita's eyes widened and frantically looked around at anything and everything but him. He chuckled at the state she was in and placed a finger under her chin forcing the Time Lady to look at him. "I would love to have lunch with you." He smiled softly before kissing her. After pulling away the brunette looked at the ground out of embarrassment of how much of an idiot she looked a few moments ago. The Doctor smirked knowing what was wrong and took her hand entwining his fingers with hers walking down the street.

"Doctor?" She looked at him as they walked.

"Yes, love?" He turned to her raising a brow.

"I think we should tell Martha." She then quickly added. "If you want to, because she's a really good friend and I feel so horrible sneaking around with you like this when she lives in the same bloody flat, but if you don't want to say then-" He placed a finger to her lips stopping her from rambling.

"Yes." he nodded causing her to frown. "Yes, we can tell her." He smiled removing his finger from her lips before continuing to walk down the street.

"But I'm telling her," Rita added after a moment causing the Doctor to chuckle and nod at her.

"Of course."

A week after the Time Lords agreed Rita arranged to have lunch with the companion instead of going out to lunch with the Doctor after what became a common thing in their uncommon lives. It slightly scared the brunette how calm he was in the situation. She didn't see him alone so that may have been when he let it all out, she deeply hoped otherwise.

"Stone!" Martha beamed sitting at a table in the small cafe close to the shop they worked in, Rita smiled waving to her friend sitting down on the opposite side.

"We haven't had lunch in ages," Rita muttered slightly blushing at the thought of who she was with instead. "Which is all my fault." She muttered.

"Why would it be your fault?" Martha asked.

"Do you remember when I said I loved the Doctor?" Rita seriously asked.

"In that cottage? Yeah, I do."

"Well, he sort of remembered me saying that." She muttered quietly just loud enough for Martha to hear. "And then he said he does as well... I made a real mess of things Martha." She chuckled. "I didn't think he did."

"And are you two...?"

"Yeah, we are." She nodded slightly smiling.

"I'm so happy for you both!" She beamed moving around the table and tightly hugging the brunette.

"Thanks." Rita chuckled blushing.

"Why did you say not having lunch with me was your fault?" Martha asked.

"The Doctor and I have been going out for lunch together." She chuckled. "It's hilarious watching him try to act anything near human."

"Like dates?" She asked.

"Yeah." She nodded. "I'm sorry for ditching you, Martha."

"No, no don't be." She laughed waving a hand and shaking her head. "This is most likely the small amount of time you two get to relax like this, enjoy it."

"Martha are you sure?" She asked.

"Positive." She nodded then sighed looking at the clock on the wall in the cafe. "I better go back soon otherwise I'll be late."

"I best go as well." Rita nodded in agreement standing up and waiting for Martha. The two then walked out heading back to their workplace.

After another week of the Doctor repeatedly almost exploding the entire flat Rita decided it was enough, they had to start placing the 'clues' for Sally Sparrow. His 'timey-wimey' detector was going to be helpful in tracking Billy the man who was touched by a weeping angel according to the notes but they needed to write the warning on the wall at Wester Drumlin.

It didn't take them very long to find the exact room and wall of where the messaging Sally found was written. They then got to work and made the Doctor paint it on the wall seeing as Rita knew it looked like his handwriting. The Doctor soon finished writing the messaging and stepped back nodding at his work.

BEWARE THE WEEPING ANGEL OH, AND DUCK! REALLY, DUCK! SALLY SPARROW DUCK, NOW!

Below that read: LOVE FROM THE DOCTOR (1969)

"Love from the Doctor?" Rita stopped rolling out the wallpaper and raised a brow smirking.

"Jealous?" He asked raising a brow.

"No, I was just wondering why you didn't just put 'from the Doctor'." She chuckled.

"Well if you saw a mystery message on a wall behind old wallpaper with a warning and your name on it, you would be creeped out wouldn't you."

"Ah, you do have a point there." She nodded looking at his work.

"When don't I?"

"Carful there Doctor that ego of yours is getting bigger and bigger."

"When doesn't it?" Martha joked walking in with some more brushes and a pot of glue.

"Are you two always going to gang up on me?" He asked.

"When it comes to your ego, we always will sweetheart." Rita chuckled patting his arm.

Seeing the cheeky behaviour begin to rise the Doctor sneakily found some cobwebs when Rita continued with the paper he then patted her back transferring the cobwebs on his hand to the jacket she was wearing on her back. Martha chuckled at the sight causing the brunette to frown. "What did you do?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He grinned at her placing his hands behind his back.

"Don't make me force it out of you Doctor." She slowly walked over to him. He swallowed hard seeing the mischievous look in her eye and backed up himself pressing his back against the wall. She stood inches from his face him looking down slightly at her feeling a little terrified for how she practically made him act like this. "Well?" She asked raising a brow.

"I-" he stuttered. "I put cobwebs on your back." Rolling her eyes she quickly kissed his cheek then walked away taking off her jacket and brushing the cobwebs off of it. "That wasn't so hard was it?" She smirked at how he was still standing pressed up against the wall.

Martha laughed at the two and shook her head. "I would feel sorry for you Doctor, but you did put cobwebs on her back."

The Doctor looked over at her glaring. Rita narrowed her eyes at him signalling for him to leave her alone. He sighed stepping away from the wall and picked up the paint brush he left on the floor and placed in inside the pot of glue, Rita and Martha then returned to wallpaper and started to place glue on it.

After finishing with their work the three stepped back and nodded. It wasn't the best wallpaper it glue but it would manage to stay up until Sally Sparrow found it. "Can we finally go now?" Martha asked picking up the pot of glue. "This place gives me the creeps."

"I think it's beautiful," Rita said in awe looking around. "Beautiful yet slightly creepy." She then picked up the photograph and note Sally had made. Holding it up Rita nodded in approval. The Doctor then took her arm as well as the pot of glue and the three walked out.

They returned to the flat and Martha headed upstairs to sleep due to them having to go to write it in the evening since both girls had work during the day, Rita walked in heading for the sofa before she was spun around and pressed up against the wall. Blinking in shock the Doctor smirked at her a mischievous twinkle now in his eye before he pressed his lips to hers deeply kissing her make the brunette's knees feel weak. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer. After a few moments, they pulled apart practically gasping for breath madly grinning at each other. "What was that for?" Rita questioned between breaths her forehead resting against his.

"Because I love you." He grinned. "And for teasing me earlier."

"Oh, of course." She rolled her eyes. "It's always a competition with you isn't it?" She asked chuckling.

The Doctor didn't reply and just pressed his lips to hers again, moulding his lips with hers as she pulled him closer smiling into the kiss.


	27. Blink - Two

Rita and Martha sighed after another long day of working. It had now been a total of seven weeks since they first arrived in 1969, the Doctor was still trying to finish his 'timey-wimey.' detector. "I'm starving" Martha muttered opening the door before gasping at the mess in the flat.

"Okay, what has he done now." Rita groaned knowing this was only the possible doing of one person, only one man could make a mess like this, the Doctor. They walked inside and gagged at the smell holding a hand to their mouths and noses while looking around seeing what looked like blood stains and feathers scattered on the floor. Rita removed her hand and sniffed the air her face turning to disgust. "It's chicken blood."

"Chicken blood?" Martha muffled through her hand. Rita hummed and stepped further into the room before the Doctor walked into the room from the kitchen ruffling a towel through his hair with a different suit to the one the girls saw him wearing this morning.

"What did you do?" Rita asked causing the Doctor to jump, dropping the mop he had picked up after dropping his towel "I will clean it up." he protested holding his hands up letting the towel fall to the floor.

"Doctor what did you do?" She repeated again crossing her arms.

"I learned that the timey-wimey detector can also boil eggs, and cause hens to explode." He sighed looking down.

"Why were there chickens in the flat?" Martha asked then shook her head. "Actually don't answer that." She walked into the kitchen to collect supplies to clean up.

" _Why_ were there chickens in the flat?" Rita asked crossing her arms again. The Doctor scratched the back of his head.

"I was going to make us dinner." He mumbled looking down.

"But it's my turn to cook?" She raised a brow.

"No." He chuckled stepping closer to her and taking her hands. "I was going to make _us_ dinner." Her eyes widened realising what he meant, her cheeks flushed pink as she chuckled.

"Oh, Doctor you didn't have to do that." She reached for his cheek cupping it with her hand before stroking the soft skin with her thumb.

"But I wanted to." He protested smiling.

"Your such a sweetheart." She murmured softly kissing him for a moment. "You really didn't have to cook alone Doctor, I could have helped."

"I wanted to show you that I could without the TARDIS assisting me in it." He chuckled.

"You remember the comment I made?" She raised a brow giggling. "Oh, Doctor." She fondly shook her head. "Now, is it bad to say that I don't want to see a chicken for a month." She laughed removing her hand from his cheek allowing it to rest beside her.

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "I don't want to see one in _two_ months."

"Now," She gave him a pointed look knowing that if she didn't say anything now he would mostly run off and hide somewhere. "I hope you don't expect me and Martha to clear _your_ mess away for you." She raised her brows at him making it explicitly clear that it was indeed his mess and not hers or Marthas. "Come on you made this mess you can help tidy it up." She walked into the kitchen where Martha was moping the floor, she then picked up a pair of gloves and a cloth before tossing them to the Doctor. He rolled his eyes and began to help them clean the flat.

After they finished cleaning the flat the three sighed sitting on the sofa and decided to choose a movie to watch on their small TV however, 30 minutes into the film the Doctor jumped up hearing a ding causing the Time Lady to jump at the sudden movement and fall to the floor with a groan as she glared up at the Doctor who sheepishly looked at her before helping her up and rushing into the kitchen. Martha frowned pausing the film then joined them. "What is it?" She frowned watching the Doctor pick up his 'timey wimey detector'

"Someone has travelled to 1969, I'm guessing by Weeping Angel." He answered.

"How do you know that?" She asked watching him throw on his coat and then help the brunette with her jacket even though she protested against it before grumbling when he won and managed to get it on her.

"We just do." Rita shrugged following the Doctor out of the flat. Martha followed and they both looked at the timey wimey detector and followed its signal until they noticed a man sitting against a wall looking confused and distressed.

"Welcome." The Doctor walked holding the timey wimey detector out.

"Where am I?" Billy asked touching his head in pain.

"1969. Not bad, as it goes. You've got the moon landing to look forward to." The Doctor shrugged.

"Oh, the moon landing's brilliant." Martha beamed. "We went four times, back when we _had_ transport." She glared at the Time Lords.

"Working on it!" The Time Lords both exclaimed then moved under the railing.

"How did I get here?"

"The same way we did. The touch of an angel." The Doctor informed him sitting beside Billy leaning against the wall with Rita beside him. "Same one, probably, since you ended up in the same year." Billy went to stand up however the Doctor shook his head pushing him back down. "No, no. No, no, no, don't get up. Time travel without a capsule. Nasty. Catch your breath. Don't go swimming for half an hour."

"I wonder how you know that," Rita muttered rolling her eyes.

"Not now." He glared at her playfully.

"I don't." He looked at them confused. "I can't."

"Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels." The Doctor continued not noticing the confused and slightly panicked look in the man's eyes. "The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss, they just zap you into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life used up and blown away in the blink of an eye."

"Yes lovely, wish the bloody pepperpots did it like that." She shivered. The Doctor shook his head at her before continuing on with his explanation.

"You die in the past, and in the present, they consume the energy of all the days you might have had." He shrugged.

"They're creatures of the abstract. They live off potential energy."

"What in God's name are you talking about?" Billy looked at them very confused.

"Trust me. Just nod when they stop for breath."

"I'm not that bad!" Rita protested her voice rising in pitch. The Doctor and Martha looked over at her raising a brow. "Okay fine but I'm not as bad as you are Doctor!"

 _"You love it really."_ He smirked at her. The brunette hit his arm lightly, the Doctor then turned back to Billy. "Tracked you down with this." He held up the device. "This is my timey-wimey detector." Rita glared at him and coughed. " _Our_ timey-wimey detector." He corrected himself. "It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at thirty paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

"The flat wasn't pretty either, I'm still finding feathers in the sofa." Rita cheekily grinned

"I don't understand. Where am I?" Billy interrupted looking between them.

"1969, like he said," Martha spoke up

"Normally, we'd offer you a lift home, but somebody nicked our motor. So I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow." His voice then grew softer. "And I'm sorry, Billy. I am very, very sorry. It's going to take you a while."

A few more weeks after Billy's arrival the Time Lords decided they best make the DVD recording for Sally, they wanted to get out of 1969 and back in the TARDIS freely able to travel anywhere and everywhere again, Martha was also growing slightly cranky having to grin and bare the Doctor blowing up objects around the flat. Rita wasn't so bad due to knowing the Doctors habits for centuries however even she was getting slightly annoyed about it and repeatedly had to remind him to not try and 'improve' anything when she wasn't there to stop him from destroying the place.

Rita sighed and hit the Doctors hands away from his tie as he started to mess with it. "I just fixed that stop acting like a child Doctor."

"I'm older than you!" He glared at her as she fixed his tie.

"Then prove it." She glared back moving and checking the autocue was ready.

"Martha, do you remember your lines?" The Time Lady asked the woman standing behind the camera.

Martha nodded in reply checking it. "Yeah, do you?"

"Martha we're Time Lords, of course, we remember them. The autocue is just in case."

"She thinks that you will forget your lines." the Doctor hummed.

"I do not." Rita huffed in protest hitting his arm before sitting down. "Can we please start now?" She groaned. "The sooner this gets done the sooner we can get back to the TARDIS."

"Someone not liking carpets now?" The Doctor cheekily asked.

"Not since you decided to make the flat have a new scent of chicken." She remarked. The Doctor pursed his lips and scratched the back of his head.

"Right let's start." He gestured to Martha who pressed record and started the autocue.

"The Doctor and the Stone." Sally looked from Larry her friend to his laptop screen where the Doctor and Rita sat, the Doctor placed on his glasses causing Rita to roll her eyes.

"Who's the Doctor?" Larry frowned.

"He's the Doctor." Sally nodded to him. "And she's the Stone."

"Yup." The Doctor nodded. "That's us."

Sally stepped back a little in fright. "Okay, that was scary."

"No, it sounds like he's replying, but he always says that."

"Yes, I do." The Doctor nodded.

"And that," Larry said taking out the transcript himself.

"And this," Rita added smirking a little.

"They can hear us. Oh, my God, you can really hear us?" Sally stepped closer to the screen intrigued as to how it was possible.

"Of course they can't hear us." Larry scoffed "Look, I've got a transcript." He held up the sheets of paper. "See? Everything they say. Yup, that's me. Yes, I do. Yup, and this." He explained reading it. "Next it's..."

"Are you going to read out the whole thing?" The Doctor asked as Larry read it off of the transcript.

"Sorry." he then chuckled.

"Who are you?" Sally frowned leaning closer to the screen.

"We're time travellers. Or we were." He muttered.

"We're stuck in 1969."

Martha walked over leaning into the shot, snapping while looking at the camera. "We're stuck. All of space and time, they promised me. Now I've got a job in a shop. We've got to support him!"

"Yeah, he's useless at getting a job." Rita patted his arm in sympathy. The Doctor gave her a look. "Oh right." She nodded, the Doctor then looked over to Martha who stood there not understanding.

"Martha." The Doctor nodded to the camera.

She looked at him then the camera before muttering: "Sorry." and moving out of the frame.

"I've seen this bit before," Sally muttered.

"Quite possibly."

"1969, that's where you're talking from?" She asked the Doctor nodded.

"Afraid so."

Sally frowned in protest. "But you're replying to me. You can't know exactly what I'm going to say, forty years before I say it."

"Thirty-eight." Both Time Lords corrected then high fived grinning.

"I'm getting this down," Larry stated hastily scribbling on the page. "I'm writing in your bits."

"How?" Sally asked aloud. "How is this possible? Tell me."

"Not so fast," Larry said writing as fast as humanly possible.

"People don't understand time. It's not what you think it is."

"Then what is it?"

Rita thought for a moment before replying. "Complicated."

"Tell me."

"Very complicated." The Doctor added.

"I'm clever and I'm listening."

"It's not that we don't think you're clever, it's that it's hard to understand," Rita added, the Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Don't patronise me because people have died, and I'm not happy. Tell me." She demanded.

The Doctor looked at Rita raising a brow as she nodded at him. "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey stuff."

"I wish you would use proper words sweetheart." Rita shook her head.

"Yeah, I've seen this bit before," Sally said. "You said that sentence got away from you." She looked at the Doctor on the screen.

"It got away from me, yeah."

"Next thing you're going to say is, well I can hear you."

"Well, I can hear you."

"This isn't possible." Sally looked over at Larry in disbelief.

"No. It's brilliant!" He then exclaimed continuing to write down the conversation.

"Well, not hear you, exactly, but we know everything you're going to say." Rita corrected.

"Always gives me the shivers, that bit." Larry looked up at Sally.

"How can you know what I'm going to say?" She asked frowning now having a conversation with the thirty-eight-year-old recording.

"Look to your left." The Doctor stated, Sally then slowly looked over to see Larry continuing to scribble down the conversation on the piece of paper under what the Doctor and Rita had said.

"What does he mean by look to your left? I've written tons about that on the forums. I think it's a political statement." He said in thought continuing to write.

"He means you. What are you doing?" Sally asked.

Larry looked up replying. "I'm writing in your bits. That way I've got a complete transcript of the whole conversation. Wait until this hits the net. This will explode the egg forums."

"We've got a copy of the finished transcript. It's on our autocue." The Doctor pointed behind the camera at it showing the transcript.

"How can you have a copy of the finished transcript? It's still being written."

"I told you. We're time travellers. We got it in the future." The Doctor answered.

"Okay, let me get my head round this." Sally stood up pacing around holding her head. "You're reading aloud from a transcript of a conversation you're still having."

"Yeah. Wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey"

"Never mind that." Sally shook her head. "You can do shorthand?"

"So?"

"What matters is, we can communicate." The Doctor interrupted. " We have got big problems now. They have taken the blue box, haven't they? The angels have the phone box."

"The angels have the phone box. That's my favourite, I've got it on a t-shirt." Larry gestured to his shirt.

"What do you mean, angels? You mean those statue things?"

"Creatures from another world."

"But they're just statues."

"Only when you see them." The Doctor explained.

"What does that mean?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. "The Lonely assassins, they used to be called. No one quite knows where they came from, but they're as old as the universe, or very nearly, and they have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved."

"They're quantum-locked. They don't exist when they're being observed. The moment they are seen by any other living creature, they freeze into stone, sadly they don't turn into me." Rita joked. "It's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. Of course, a stone can't kill you either. But then you turn your head away, then you blink, and oh yes it can." She spoke seriously into the camera.

"Don't take your eyes off that." Sally looked up glancing at the angel outside.

"That's why they cover their eyes. They're not weeping. They can't risk looking at each other." The Doctor explained. "Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I'm sorry. I am very, very sorry. It's up to you now."

"What am I supposed to do?" Sally asked worryingly.

"The blue box, it's our time machine. There is a world of time energy in there they could feast on forever, but the damage they could do could switch off the sun. You have got to send it back to us."

"How? How?"

The Doctor sadly sighed looking into the camera. "And that's it, I'm afraid. There's no more from you on the transcript, that's the last we've got. I don't know what stopped you talking, but I can guess. They're coming. The angels are coming for you. But listen, your life could depend on this." He looked into the camera and spoke in the most serious tone possible. "Don't blink. Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink. Good luck." The picture then froze as Martha ended the recording.

A couple of days after giving Billy the finished DVD's the Doctor, Rita and Martha rushed around collecting the little belongings they wanted to bring with them after the 'timey-wimey' detector dinged signalling the TARDIS was in 1969.

"Finally!" Rita exclaimed running up to the blue box laughing and widely opening her arms hugging the doors. "You have no idea how sick I am off these dresses" she commented then moved out the way for the Doctor. Who then frowned when the door of the TARDIS didn't open when he tried to unlock it. "Someone is angry with you Doctor."

"I know, I know I'm sorry." The Doctor patted the side of the TARDIS.

"What's wrong?" Martha asked.

"The TARDIS wasn't too happy with the weeping angels stealing her. She blames him." Rita looked over to the Doctor who continued to pat the door.

"So we're stuck out here?" Martha asked groaning.

"No." she smiled. "The TARDIS will let me in." She chuckled taking out her own key and placing it in the door turning it then smirking as the Doctor groaned watching the amusing look on the Time Lady's face as she stepping into the console room.

The Doctor sighed walking to the door as they slammed shut in front of him and groaned gently placing his head on the door. "Please." He begged. Rita chuckled hearing his pleade. She then slowly walked over to the door stepped to the side and suddenly opened it causing the Doctor to loose his balance and almost fall face first on the ramp.

"Careful Doctor." Rita joked. "You might damage your head as well as your ego. We wouldn't want that now do we?" He groaned again rolling his eyes ignoring her cheeky remark walking over to the console which hummed in amusement seeing that he was sulking. "Almost 903 years old and you still sulk like a child." Rita shook her head at him.

"Because she won't listen to me." He groaned again.

"While you two sort this out with... her." Martha looked at the rotor. "I'm going to take a shower and then head to bed."

"Goodnight Martha." Rita smiled before turning to the Doctor. "Are you done sulking now?"

"I'm not sulking." He snapped glaring at her.

"Now sweetheart." She walked over to him shaking her head and placing a hand on his on the console. "There isn't a need to suddenly snap or hiss at me, she just is a little angry."

"Women." He muttered.

"Doctor that won't help." Rita rubbed a thumb over the back of his hand. "Just say sorry and say it meaningfully.

He sighed looking into her kind hazel eyes before looking at the rotor. "I'm sorry." The TARDIS then hummed in response. Rita smiled and kissed his cheek. "Now that wasn't so hard was it?"

"No, it wasn't." He smiled softly kissing her lips for a moment. "Want to go and read in the library with me?"

"Of course my sweetheart." She took his hand walking towards the library with him.


	28. Utopia

"Where are we going?" Martha questioned walking into the console room seeing the Doctor moving around the console with the Stone.

"Cardiff!" The Doctor exclaimed before Martha could ask any questions about the subject. Pulling a lever he then sent them through the vortex.

"Cardiff?" she questioned looking at him frowning.

"Ah, but the thing about Cardiff, it's built on a rift in time and space, just like California and the San Andreas Fault, but the rift bleeds energy." He explained.

"Every now and then he needs to open up the engines, soak up the energy and use it as fuel," Rita explained. "Sometimes I help." She shrugged.

"So it's a pit stop."

"Exactly. Should only take twenty seconds."

"Doctor?" Rita looked at the monitor. "The rift's been active."

"Wait a minute." Martha interrupted. "They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple of years ago. Was that you two?"

"Wasn't me." Rita shrugged. "I was off in a parallel universe back then. Although I think I faintly remember you talking about that at one point... Was it the Slitheen Doctor?"

"Mhm." He hummed. "Bit of trouble with the Slitheen. A long time ago. Lifetimes. I was a different man back then." He muttered.

"I wish I got to meet that you, the only Doctor I haven't met." She hummed resting her chin on his shoulder grinning, she then frowned looking at the monitor seeing someone run towards the TARDIS, she pulled the lever to start the TARDIS to dematerialise as fast as she possibly could having a bad feeling when she looked at the man, breathing out a sigh she rested her head back on the Doctors shoulder as he slightly nodded. The console then began to spark forcing the three to the ground as a loud bang echoed in the room.

"Whoa! What's that?" Martha asked pulling herself up.

The Doctor and Rita pulled themselves up as well and looked at the monitor reading the Gallifreyan in shock. "We're accelerating into the future. The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion."

"Fifty trillion?" Rita gasped.

"What? The year one hundred trillion? That's impossible." The Doctor looked to her.

"Why?" Martha asked slightly worried. "What happens then?"

"We're going to the end of the universe." The Doctor said taking the brunette's hand. The TARDIS continued to shake for a few moments before coming to a stop. "Well, we've landed."

"So what's out there?" Martha looked over at the doors.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Neither do I, slightly worries me."

"Say that again," Martha told them. "That's rare."

"Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should leave. We should go. We should really, really go." He looked to Rita then Martha and the Time Lords both wildly grinned at Martha before running to the doors both grabbing their coats and then exited the TARDIS.

They stepped outside into what looked like the night and looked out at the view before Martha gasped running over to a body causing the Time Lords to spin around. The Doctor looked down with an unreadable facial expression. Martha felt the man's neck trying to find a heart. "Can't get a pulse. Hold on. You've got that medical kit thing." She ran back into the TARDIS.

 _"Is that?"_ Rita looked up at him and he nodded silently placing an arm around her waist having explained who he was to her before.

"Hello again. Oh, I'm sorry." He looked down at his friend before looking at the brunette giving her a look to tell her to stay behind him as he let go of her. She rolled her eyes however complied with his wish and stepped behind him looking over his shoulder.

Martha then ran out of the TARDIS holding medical equipment and kneeled beside the man. "Here we go." She then pushed the Doctor aside. "Get out of the way. It's a bit odd, though. Not very hundred trillion." She said bringing out a stethoscope. "That coat's more like World War Two."

"I think he came with us." The Doctor informed her.

Martha then looked up her face not showing belief in what he said. "How do you mean, from Earth?"

"Must have been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. Well, that's very him."

"What, do you know him?" She asked in shock.

"Friend of mine. Used to travel with me, back in the old days before the Stone came back."

"Before I met you as a human." She added.

"But he's." She took the stethoscope away sadly looking up at the Doctor. "I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. There's nothing. He's dead." A moment later the man gasped for air gripping hold of Martha's arms as she screamed in shock.

"Oh, so much for me. It's all right. Just breathe deep. I've got you." She reassured him after calming down herself.

The man then calmed down looking at Martha. "Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?"

"Martha Jones." She replied smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones."

"Oh, don't start." The Doctor groaned.

"I was only saying hello." Jack protested.

"I don't mind," Martha said smiling while helping Jack up.

"Doctor." He nodded.

"Captain."

"Captain Jack Harkness" He flashed a grin looking behind the Doctor at Rita, the Doctor tensed up as Rita raised a brow. "And who you might be beautiful?"

"The Stone," Rita replied stepping out from behind the Doctor who had his arm firmly around her waist. _"Theta I'm fine."_ She glared at him momentarily for being so protective over her. "Why do I feel like this is going to become a tug of war match and I'm the rope." Rita let out a groan looking at Martha who laughed.

"You mean like him?" Jack ignored her previous comment looking at the Doctor.

"You mean the like one of the last Time Lords?" Rita rhetorically asked. "Yeah, that's me." She shrugged.

"Ah." He nodded. "Wait I thought you were the last?" He frowned at the Doctor.

"It's a long story." He muttered tightening his grip.

"Anyways, Good to see you, Doctor."

The Doctor then let out a quiet sigh seeming to relax a little slightly letting go of the brunette, his hand resting on her waist unlike before where it clung on to her side."And you. Same as ever. Although, have you had work done?"

"You can talk." He raised a brow.

"Oh yes, the face." He nodded. "Regeneration. How did you know this was me?"

"The police box kind of gives it away. I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me."

"Did I?" The Doctor asked then coldly added. "Busy life. Moving on."

"Just got to ask," Jack muttered. "The Battle of Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead. It said Rose Tyler." The Doctor looked at him for a moment. Rita placed a hand over his one resting on her waist and gently rubbed it in comfort.

The Doctor then broke out into a smile. "Oh, no! Sorry, she's alive." He exclaimed.

"You're kidding." Jack grinned stepping backwards slightly.

"Parallel world, safe and sound. And Mickey, and her mother."

"Oh, yes!" Jack laughed running up to the Doctor and hugging him. Rita looked over at Martha who sadly mumbled: "Good old Rose."

The four began to walk in a direction, the Doctor and Rita walking ahead as Jack spoke about himself to Martha. "...So there I was, stranded in the year two hundred one hundred, ankle deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me. But I had this." He tapped the bracelet on his wrist. "I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator. They're not the only ones who can time travel."

The Doctor spun around clearly annoyed and started to spit at Jack. "Oh, excuse me. That is not time travel. It's like, I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper." Rita chuckled along with Martha.

"Oh ho. Boys and their toys." Martha commented now laughing.

"All right, so I bounced." Jack hissed. "I thought 21st century, the best place to find the Doctor, except that I got it a little wrong. Arrived in 1869, this thing burnt out, so it was useless."

"Told you." The Doctor smirked at Rita who just playfully hit his arm signalling for him to be nice and behave.

"I had to live through the entire twentieth century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me."

"But that makes you more than one hundred years old." Martha looked at him in shock.

Jack flashed her a grin. "And looking good, don't you think? So I went to the time rift, based myself there because I knew you'd come back to refuel. Until finally I get a signal on this detecting you and here we are." He pointed to his backpack.

"But the thing is, how come you left him behind, Doctor?" Martha asked.

The Doctor flatly replied as Rita glanced up at him. "I was busy."

"Is that what happens, though, seriously?" Martha asked. "Do you just get bored with us one day and disappear?"

"Martha," Rita warned. "I wouldn't say that seriously you don't know what happened." She said calmly not to cause an argument.

"Not if you're blonde or a Time Lady it seems." Jack hummed having been eyeing the way the Doctor practically was glued to the Stones side.

"Oh, she was blonde?" Martha asked ignoring Rita who sighed. "Oh, what a surprise!"

The Doctor groaned spinning around and pointing at Jack and Martha. "You two! We're at the end of the universe, all right?" He snapped. "Right at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy... blogging!"

Rita chuckled finding the Doctor being angry quite hilarious. "Doctor please calm down." She whispered, he shook his head at her then muttered. "Come on."

They soon stopped walking seeing a cliff and a high-tech construction looking a lot like a ravine. "Is that a city?" Martha asked looking.

"A city or a hive, or a nest, or a conglomeration."

"Conglomeration." Rita nodded. The Doctor looked at her raising a brow. "Oh come on don't tell me you never saw what a conglomeration looked like. 900 years and you still don't listen." She shook her head.

"I was busy." He protested.

"Busy dreaming of the stars?" She raised a brow grinning. "Then again after I met you so was I, not near enough as you were though."

"Must have been some sort of life, long ago." The Doctor brought the topic back to the Conglomeration.

Martha looked up at the Time Lords. "What killed it?"

"Time." The Doctor sighed. "Just time. Everything's dying now. All the great civilisations have gone."

"Martha this isn't just night. I don't even know if it is night." She pointed upwards. "All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing."

"They must have an atmospheric shell. We should be frozen to death." Jack stated.

"Well, Martha, the Stone and I, maybe. Not so sure about you, Jack." The Doctor sighed looking at him.

"What about the people?" Martha questioned. "Does no one survive?"

"I suppose we have to hope life will find a way."

Jack frowned slightly then nodded down below where a man was running. "Well, he's not doing too bad."

They watched for a moment before what looked like a tribe came into view. "Is it me, or does that look like a hunt?" The Doctor asked them. "Come on!" He shouted as they ran heading in the direction of the man to help.

"Oh, I've missed this," Jack said sprinting with laughter.

They skidded to a stop before the running man who Jack grabbed reassuring him. "I've got you."

"They're coming! They're coming!" He cried running behind Jack. The Doctor pushed Rita behind him as Jack stepped in front of them all aiming a revolver at the tribe's people.

"Jack, don't you dare!" The Doctor shouted. Jack hesitated for a moment before aiming the revolver into the air and firing multiple shots scaring the tribe into a stop with the echoing noise of bullets.

"What the hell are they?" Martha asked in shock and fear slightly shaking behind Rita.

"There's more of them. We've got to keep going." The man told them.

"I've got a ship nearby." The Doctor looked at the man holding his shoulder so he would listen and hopefully understand. "It's safe. It's not far, it's over there." He pointed just as more tribesmen appeared on the cliff.

"Or we don't." Rita sighed.

"We're close to the silo." The man breathed. "If we get to the silo, then we're safe."

"Silo?" The Doctor asked looking at the three.

"Silo." Jack nodded.

"Silo for me." Martha nodded.

"Make that four for the silo!" Rita nodded in agreement, the five then ran following the man towards two large gates as he shouted at the top of his lungs

"It's the Futurekind! Open the gate!" They then collided with it.

"Show me your teeth!" The guard ordered. "Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth!" He repeated.

"Show him your teeth." The man told them. The Time Lords along with Jack and Martha then showed their teeth to the guards as he shouted. "Human! Let them in! Let them in!" The gates then opened and the five ran through to safety the gates then closed again. A guard started to spray his machine gun at the ground in front of the tribe pushing them back

"Humans." A tribesman hissed. "Humani. Make feast."

"Go back to where you came from." The guard shouted waiting for them to move. "I said, go back. Back!"

"Oh, don't tell him to put his gun down." Jack looked at the Doctor angrily.

"He's not my responsibility."

"And I am? Huh, that makes a change."

"Not now you two." Rita groaned. "You can argue to your heart's content back on the TARDIS."

"Kind watch you. Kind hungry." The tribesmen said again before backing away.

"Thanks for that." The Doctor looked at the guard who nodded.

"Right. Let's get you inside."

The man from before walked beside the guard as the four trailed behind. "My name is Padra Toc Shafe Cane. Tell me. Just tell me, can you take me to Utopia?" He pleaded.

"Oh yes, sir. Yes, I can."

The Doctor and Rita glanced at each other than followed the guard Martha and Jack slightly behind them.

"It looks like a box, a big blue box." The Doctor explained to the guard. "I'm sorry, but I really need it back. It's stuck out there."

"I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo." Padra interrupted desperate to find his family. "Did they get here?" The man pressed on questioning the guard. "My mother is Kistane Shafe Cane. My brother's name is Beltone."

"The computers are down but you can check the paperwork." The guard then shouted. "Creet! Passenger needs help."

A young boy holding a clipboard walked around the corner and walked up to Padra the man who was running from the tribe. "Right. What do you need?"

The guard turned to the Doctor who was standing beside Rita. "A blue box, you said."

"Big, tall, wooden."

"Says Police on the front," Rita added. The Doctor nodded as the man jotted the information down on some paper.

"We're driving out for the last water collection. I'll see what I can do." He finished the notes then walked away.

"Thank you." The Time Lords smiled in appreciation.

"Come on." Creet the small boy began to walk off with Padra.

Martha then reached out stopping the boy. "Sorry, but how old are you?"

"Old enough to work." He replied causing Martha to glance at Rita raising her brows at his reply. "This way." He ordered. They then followed the boy down a corridor. There were people lying on the sides of the corridor huddled together in blankets with their belongings scattered around them.

"Kistane Shafe Cane." Creet called out loudly. "Kistane Shafe Cane. Kistane and Biltone Shafe Cane? We're looking for a Kistane and Beltone Shafe Cane."

"The Shafe Canes, anyone?" Padra asked around. "Kistane from Red Force Five? My name's Padra."

"Anyone? Kistane and Beltone Shafe Cane?" Creet spoke louder this time looking at the people. "Anyone know the Shafe Cane family? Anyone called Shafe Cane?"

"It's like a refugee camp." Martha quietly said to the Time Lords and Jack.

"Stinking." Jack coughed then saw a man looking at him. "Oh, sorry. No offence. Not you."

"Don't you see that?" He looked at Rita who grinned nodding in agreement. "The ripe old smell of humans. You survived. Oh, you might have spent a million years evolving into clouds of gas, and another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans."

"Kistane Shafe Cane."

The end of the universe." Rita said in awe looking around at the people below. "Amazing."

"End of the universe and here you are." The Doctor laughed. "Indomitable! That's the word. Indomitable! Ha!" He cheered.

"Is there a Kistane Shafe Cane?" Creet asked again. A woman then stood up raising her hand. "That's me."

"Mother?" Padra asked shaking out of shock.

"Oh, my God. Padra." The woman gasped holding a hand to her mouth.

"Beltone?" He asked running up to his mother embracing her in his arms.

"It's not all bad news." Martha smiled.

The Doctor and Rita walked over to a door. He used his sonic to try and open it. Rita sighed taking her out and attempting to unlock the door when the Doctor wasn't able to.

"Captain Jack Harkness." Jack introduced himself as a man stood up. "And who are you?"

"Stop it." The Doctor warned. "Give us a hand with this. It's half deadlocked. I need you to overwrite the code." The Doctor asked. Rita stepped out of the way allowing Jack to try. "Let's find out where we are."

Jack opened the door and the Doctor stepped out before clinging onto the side from the sudden drop.

"Gotcha." Jack grabbed him helping the Doctor back.

"Thanks." He muttered as Rita took a deep breath helping Jack pull the Doctor back in.

"How did you cope without me?" Jack asked.

"Well, I've got the Stone." He shrugged.

"You don't need me half the time sweetheart." She laughed.

"Now that is what I call a rocket." Martha cut in, poking her head out and glancing down blow then back up at the rocket.

"They're not refugees, they're passengers."

"He said they were going to Utopia," Martha recalled.

"The perfect place." The Doctor looked out. "Hundred trillion years, it's the same old dream. You recognise those engines?" He asked Jack who shook his head.

"Nope. Whatever it is, it's not rocket science. But it's hot, though." They then shut the door and stepped into the corridor again.

"Boiling. But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?"

An older man then walked up and looked between the Doctor and Jack before pointing at Jack. "The Doctor?"

"That's me." The Doctor raised his hand.

"And the clever woman?" The man looked at Rita

"Clever?" Rita raised a brow. "Some could say clever, I like to say logic."

"I prefer brilliant." The Doctor chuckled.

"But yeah if you want to call me clever then so be it I prefer being called the Stone, however."

"Good!" He beamed then started to drag them both away. "Good! Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good."

"It's good apparently." The Doctor chuckled following the man.

"Very." Rita nodded in agreement being dragged away with the man.

"Chan welcome tho." A blue skinned alien politely welcomed them into what looked like the man's laboratory as the Doctor and Rita have dragged around to different areas of the room.

"Now, this is the gravitissimal accelerator." He showed them. "It's past its best but it works."

"Chan welcome tho." The woman smiled at Martha and Jack.

The older man then dragged them in another direction. "And over here is the footprint impellor system. Now, do you know anything about end time gravity" He looked at them both questioningly.

"Hello. Who are you?" Martha asked.

"Chan Chantho tho."

"But we can't get it to harmonise."

"Captain Jack Harkness." He flashed a grin stepping closer towards Chantho.

"Stop it." The Doctor looked at Jack.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack groaned.

"According to him, you can't." Rita chuckled, the Doctor gave her a look to tell her to not encourage him and she rolled her eyes.

"Chan I do not protest tho." Chantho smiled.

"Maybe later, Blue." Jack winked at Chantho then walked over standing beside the Doctor and Rita. "So, what have we got here?"

"And all this feeds into the rocket?" The Doctor asked looking at him.

"Yeah, except without a stable footprint, you see, we're unable to achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonise the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might yet make it. What do you think, Stone? Doctor? Any ideas?"

The Doctor and Rita shared a look before he started to talk scratching the back of his head in the process. "Well, er, basically, sort of-"

Rita then cut him off before he could ramble anymore. "Neither of us have a clue how we could get this to work, sorry."

"Nothing?"

"We're not from around these parts. We've never seen a system like it. Sorry."

"No, no. I'm sorry." He shook his head "It's my fault. There's been so little help."

"Oh, my God." Martha gasped pulling out a hand in a bubbling liquid from the bag Jack had. "You've got a hand? A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in your bag." Jack looked at them sheepishly as Rita walked over laughing bending down next to it.

"I always wondered where that went, mystery solved I guess."

The Doctor frowned crouching beside the brunette. "But that, that, that's my hand."

"I said I had a Doctor detector," Jack told him.

"Chan, is this a tradition amongst your people tho?" Chantho asked looking at Martha.

"Not on my street. What do you mean, that's your hand?" Martha asked the Doctor. "You've got both your hands, I can see them."

"Long story. I lost my hand Christmas Day, in a swordfight."

"Now he has a 'fighting hand'" Rita quoted laughing.

"What? And you grew another hand?" Martha asked shivering a little.

"Er, yeah, yeah, I did." He shrugged. "Yeah. Hello." He grinned and waved at her.

"Might I ask, what species are you?"

"Time Lords, last of." He gestured to himself and Rita, the man looked at them baffled with no idea of them. "Heard of them?" He continued to give them a strange look. "Legend or anything?" Rita raised her brows and he shook his head. "Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling."

"Chan it is said that I am the last of my species too tho." She spoke up smiling at them.

The Doctor looked over at her. "Sorry, what was your name?"

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho." Yana explained. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge."

"The city outside, that was yours?" The Doctor then asked.

"Chan the conglomeration died tho." She sadly said.

"Conglomeration. That's what I said." Rita groaned hitting his arm in annoyance. "Sorry, Chantho." She sympathetically said glaring at the Doctor who then muttered. "Oh, yes. Sorry."

"Chan most grateful tho." she nodded.

Martha continued to stare at the hand mumbling. "You grew another hand?"

He smiled and waved at her again. "Hello, again." Seeing the terror on his face he stood up and softly spoke shaking her hand. "It's fine. Look, really, it's me."

"All this time and you're still full of surprises."

"First fifteen hours of regeneration." Rita interrupted. "It isn't that hard, I cut off my own foot once."

"You cut your foot off?" The Doctor turned to her. "When? How? Why?" He quickly bombarded her with questions.

"my 2nd regeneration. I was locked in my room, my parents refused to let me out and literally chained me up by my right foot to my bed, this was after I had come back just before we were exiled, since they obviously couldn't exile after just regenerating with me being asleep, my second incarnation, being stubborn, as well as determined, decided to cut off my right foot so I could escape. Kind of humiliating when you think about it."

"Didn't it hurt?" Martha asked.

"Oh, it only stung like a bee sting. Wasn't that bad."

"Chan you two are most unusual tho. "

"Well." The Doctor smirked.

"Makes life more interesting at times." Rita shrugged.

"So what about those things outside?" Jack crossed his arms looking at Yana. "The Beastie Boys. What are they?"

"We call them the Futurekind, which is a myth in itself, but it's feared they are what we will become unless we reach Utopia."

"And Utopia is?"

"Oh, every human knows of Utopia." Yana looked at him in shock. "Where have you been?"

"Bit of a hermit."

"A hermit with friends?" Yana looked at them.

"And a girlfriend." He winked at Rita who lightly hit his arm before he continued to speak. "Hermits United. We meet up every ten years and swap stories about caves. It's good fun, for a hermit. So, er, Utopia?"

Yana then pulled them over to a monitor. "The call came from across the stars, over and over again. Come to Utopia. Originating from that point." He pointed to it.

"Where is that?" The Doctor asked sticking his glasses on.

"Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness, out towards the Wildlands and the Dark Matter reefs, calling us in. The last of the humans scattered across the night."

"What do you think's out there?"

"We can't know. A colony, a city, some sort of haven? The Science Foundation created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now perhaps they found it. Perhaps not. But it's worth a look, don't you think?"

"Of course it is, you have to go for any chance of hope, even the tiniest. bit."

"Oh, yes." The Doctor grinned at her.

"And the signal keeps modulating, so it's not automatic. That's a good sign someone's out there. And that's, oh, that's a navigation matrix." The Doctor noticed the equiptment. "So you can fly without stars to guide you."

Rita looked over at Yana and frowned crouching down to his height since he was sitting down. "Professor?" She asked, the Doctor stopped and looked at the man crouching down beside the brunette, "Professor? Professor."

Yana shook his head and stood up looking slightly sick and dazed. "I, er, ahem, right, that's enough talk." He walked over to a monitor. "There's work to do. Now if you could leave, thank you."

The Doctor looked at the brunette who shook her head. He then walked over to Yana and asked in a soft tone: "You all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He shrugged off. "And busy."

"Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it?" The Doctor crossed his arms leaning against a table. "This footprint mechanism thing, it's not working."

"We'll find a way," Yana said without looking at the Time Lords.

"And you're stuck on this planet." Rita softly added. "They have no idea that it doesn't work. That lot out there, they still think they're going to fly."

"Well, it's better to let them live in hope."

"Quite right, too." The Doctor smiled. " And I must say, Professor er, what was it?" He asked throwing off his coat in Rita's direction, rolling her eyes she caught it.

"Yana."

"Professor Yana. This new science is well beyond me."

"And me, sadly."

"And that is saying something if it's beyond her, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost."

"So, I do really, really wonder, what might just happen if I did this" Rita grinned pulling her sonic out of her pocket before flashing it at the cables. The machines then started to power and light up creating the noise of working machines in the room as she chuckled twirling her sonic around in her fingers before placing it back in her pocket.

Chantho and Yana looked around in shock and awe beaming at the sight. "Chan it's working tho!"

"But how did you do that?" Yana looked between them.

"Oh, we've been chatting away, I forgot to tell you." The Doctor grinned. "The Stone is brilliant."


	29. Utopia - Two

"All passengers prepare for boarding. I repeat all passengers prepare for immediate boarding." The voice through the speaker ordered signalling for everyone to head to the rocket. "Destination, Utopia." He announced while everyone in the lab rushed around.

The Doctor and Rita connected wires on a large clear circuit board. The Doctor looked at a wire fiddling with it in his hand before sniffing it. "Is this?"

"Yes, gluten extract." Yana nodded from the other side of the circuit board.

"It binds the neutralino map together," Rita muttered while nodding, impressed by the work.

"That's food." The Doctor stated looking at Yana. "You've built this system out of food and string and staples?"

"I'm very impressed." Rita breathed.

"Professor Yana, you're a genius."

"I second that." Rita chuckled.

"Says the two that made it work."

"Oh, it's easy coming in at the end, but you're stellar. This is, this is magnificent. And I don't often say that because, well, because of me, well unless you're _my_ Stone here."

"Since when have I been _your_ Stone?" Rita looked at him raising a brow.

"Since I met you all them years ago." He smiled kissing her cheek.

Yana coughed lightly bringing the attention back over to him. "Well, even my title is an affectation. There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over a thousand years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another."

"If you'd been born in a different time, you'd be revered," Rita said only gaining a chuckle and a shake of Yana's head. "I mean it." He added. "Throughout the galaxies."

"Oh, those damned galaxies. They had to go and collapse. Some admiration would have been nice." He then muttered quietly. "Yes, just a little, just once."

"Well, you've got it now." The Doctor smiled before his face became serious again. "But that footprint engine thing. You can't activate it from onboard. It's got to be from here. You're staying behind."

"With Chantho," Yana explained said then added. "She won't leave without me. Simply refuses."

"You'd give your life so they could fly," Rita said sadly.

"Oh, I think I'm a little too old for Utopia." Yana sighed. "Time I had some sleep."

"Don't think you're ever too old for anything Professor, my best friend taught me that." She chuckled nudging the Doctor who laughed.

The Doctor opened his mouth the speak just as a voice came through the large speakers. "Professor, tell the Doctor and the Stone that we've found their blue box."

"Ah!" The Doctor beamed.

"Not mine." She shrugged.

"Oh, she's just as much as mind as she is yours." The Doctor took her hand as Jack beckoned them over to him nodding at the monitor. The Doctor grinned placing a hand on Yana's shoulder. "Professor, it's a wild stab in the dark, but we may just have found you a way out." He then pulled Rita away to help connect the wires as Yana continued to stare at the blue box.

A little while later the TARDIS appeared in the lab, The Doctor pulled out a large thick wire from under the console. "Extra power." Both Time Lords beamed rushing over.

"Although she might not like you after this for a while Doctor."

"What about you then?"

"She likes me." Rita grinned. "This is a little bit of a cheat." She frowned as the Doctor shrugged.

"But who's counting?" He plugged the cable in then ran over to a monitor. "Jack, you're in charge of the retro feeds." He ordered just as Martha and Chantho entered the lab.

"Oh, am I glad to see that thing." Martha beamed noticing the TARDIS in the room.

Chantho noticed the Professors distress and walked over to him full of concern. "Chan Professor, are you all right tho?"

He waved her off his hands resting on his knees while his eyes looked in thought. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just get on with it." He ordered.

"Connect those circuits into the spar, same as that last lot." Jack said to Martha before adding in a slightly louder tone: "But quicker."

"Yes, sir," Martha muttered heading over to where she was told.

The Doctor and Rita noticed the Professor and walked over to him. "You don't have to keep working. We can handle it." The Doctor stated crouching a little.

"It's just a headache." Yana frowned shaking his head. "It's just, just noise inside my head, Doctor, Stone. Constant noise inside my head."

Rita looked at the man wearily, she swallowed deeply and then asked: "What sort of noise? When did it start?"

"It's the sound of drums." He replied. Rita shivered slightly her face draining of the little colour on her naturally pale skin as he continued to speak not noticing the woman beside him. "More and more, as though it's getting closer. I've had it all my life. Every waking hour." He then muttered standing up and walking away. "Still, no rest for the wicked."

Rita watched him walked off her face showing slight fear. _"Are you okay?"_ The Doctor whispered into her mind wrapping an arm around her waist.  
 _"I."_ She shook her head. _"No, it's impossible."_ She chuckled lightly at the thought. _"I'm fine sweetheart."_ She kissed his cheek in reassurance

 _"Are you sure?"_ He asked kissing hers.

 _"Theta I'm fine."_ She reassured him _. "We have work to do."_ She grinned. The Doctor nodded as they went about the lab assisting Yana.

"God sake! This equipment." Yana groaned hitting the keyboard in anger. "Needs rebooting all the time."

"Anything we can do? I've finished that lot."

"And the Doctor doesn't need my help at the moment, keeping getting distracted when I'm around, I have no idea why. Plus I'm great with computers, not as good as him." She glanced over to the Doctor who was fiddling with some wires. "But I know a thing or two."

"Brilliant." He nodded moving out the way, allowing Martha to sit down as Rita stood behind her. "If you could. Just press the reboot key every time the picture goes."

"Ah nice and simple, always good that way." Rita grinned. "Just don't ask Martha to do shorthand."

"Not very good at it," Martha added.

"Right." Yana nodded starting to walk off.

The picture then reappeared and the man on the monitor started to talk. "Are you still there?"

Yana then rushed back to the monitor. "Ah, present and correct. Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here." The man nodded turning his head to the side before turning back to the monitor. "He's inside. And good luck to him."

Yana then moved away heading over to Jack. "Captain, keep the dials below the red."

"Where is that room?" The Doctor asked interestedly.

"It's underneath the rocket. Fix the couplings and the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation."

"Stet?" Both Time Lords looked up frowning. "Never heard of it."

"And I learnt about loads of different types of radiation," Rita added. "Never ever came across one called Stet."

"You wouldn't want to," Yana informed her. "But it's safe enough if we can hold the radiation back from here." They then looked at the monitor watching the man connect the equipment. They suddenly looked up as an alarm started blaring.

"It's rising!" Yana ran around the room. "Naught point two. Keep it level!" He shouted at Jack.

"Yes, sir."

"Chan we're losing power tho!" Chantho cried out.

"The radiation is rising!" Rita shouted running around the lab trying to stop it.

"We've lost control!" Jack shouted desperately trying to lower it.

"The chamber's going to flood."

"Jack, override the events!" The Doctor shouted at him.

"Get out! Get out of there! Jake!"

Ignoring his words Jack pulled out two sparking power cables. "We can jump start the override."

"Don't!" The Doctor shouted. "It's going to flare!"

Not telling him fast enough Jack connected the two cables together and cried out in pain with the electricity surging through him killing him dead.

"I've got him!" Martha ran over as Chantho came over as well pushing the cables away.

"Chan don't touch the cables tho."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Yana gasped.

"I wouldn't say that just yet," Rita said watching Martha try to help Jack.

"The chamber's flooded with radiation, yes?" The Doctor asked as Martha started to give Jack mouth to mouth resuscitation.

"Without the couplings, the engines will never start. It was all for nothing."

"Oh, I don't know." The Doctor shrugged.

"Martha." Rita slowly walked over to her and started to pull her away. She snapped her arm back, the Time Lady sighed using more force this time. "leave him, Martha."

"You've got to let me try." She cried out trying to break free.

"Come on, come on, just listen to the Stone." The Doctor helped pull Martha back. The Doctor removed his glasses looking at Yana. "It strikes me, Professor, you've got a room which no man can enter without dying. Is that correct?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"Well..." Jack then gasped sitting up.

"I think the Doctor has just the man for the job." She grinned patting the Doctors arm.

Continuing to gasp Jack looked up frowning. "Was someone kissing me?"

Welcome back Captain." Rita laughed.

The Doctor and Jack ran through the corridors and entered the control room. "Lieutenant, get on board the rocket!" The Doctor ordered the man sitting at the desk. "I promise you're going to fly."

"The chamber's flooded." He informed him.

"Trust me. We've found a way of tripping the system. Run!" He shouted. The man got up and headed for the rocket. The Doctor then turned to Jack seeing him taking off his outer shirt.

"Wh... What are you taking your clothes off for?" He asked.

"I'm going in."

The Doctor glanced back at the room seeing the suit lying on the floor. "Well, by the looks of it, I'd say the stet radiation doesn't affect clothing, only flesh."

"Well, I look good though." Jack grinned moving to the door.

 _"You know I can see why you're worried about me being near him."_ The Doctor blinked for a moment then heard Rita's laughed which told him that she was joking. Sighing he shook his head looking at Jack.

"How long have you known?"

"Ever since I ran away from you." He replied pausing for a moment, the Doctor then nodded. "Good luck." Jack nodded back and entered the radiation chamber.

Martha began to type on the keyboard trying to get the signal to the control room back.

"We lost picture when that thing flared up." She said. "Doctor, are you there?"

"Receiving, yeah." He replied. "He's inside."

"And still alive?" She asked.

"Oh, yes." The Doctor said back.

Yana frowned for a moment. "But he should evaporate. What sort of a man is he?"

"Sadly my memory isn't as good as it used to be... in areas, me and Martha only just met him, the Doctor and I sort of travel through time and space."

"They pick people up," Martha added before shaking her head. "God, I make us sound like stray dogs."

"Good thing I like dogs, glad you didn't mention cats, someone doesn't like them anymore." Rita hummed.

"I said this before and I'll say if again once you've been threatened by one in a nun's wimple, it kind of takes the joy out of it."

Rita laughed shaking her head at his comment.

"You travel in time?" Yana asked slightly shocked.

"Don't ask me to explain it," Martha said.

"That's the TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space, the Doctors pride and joy." Rita hummed looking back at the blue box. He calls it 'The sports car of time travel', I however quite like it as just the blue box." She smiled not noticing Yana's sudden change in expression.

"When did you first realise?" The Doctor asked from the controls room.

"Earth, 1892." Jack pressed the buttons. "Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kind of strange. But then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War One, World War Two, poison, starvation, a stray javelin." Rita and the Doctor both winced at the thought. "In the end, I got the message. I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you knew."

"That's why I left you behind." The Doctor admitted. "It's not easy even just looking at you, Jack, I know the Stone knew something was wrong when she first saw you because you're wrong."

"Thanks."

"You are. We can't help it. We're Time Lords. It's instinct. It's in our guts, I know for a fact that the Stone felt it stronger, she forced the TARDIS to go as soon as she saw you. You're a fixed point in time and space. You're a fact. That's never meant to happen." He explained. "Even the TARDIS reacted against you, tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you."

"So what you're saying is that you're, er, prejudiced?"

"I never thought of it like that."

"Shame on you both." He laughed.

"Yeah."

"Last thing I remember, back when I was mortal, I was facing three Daleks. Death by extermination. And then I came back to life, what happened?" He asked.

"Rose."

"I thought you'd sent her back home." He questioned.

"She came back. Opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex itself." He explained.

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"No one's ever mean to have that power. If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god. A vengeful God." He sighed. "But she was human." He paused then continued again. "Everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life."

"I bet the rest of the Time Lords wouldn't be happy with that, the final act of the Time War created by a human." Rita hummed.

"Do you think she could change me back?" Jack questioned.

"I took the power out of her." The Doctor paused before sighing leaning his head against the glass of the door. "She's gone, Jack. She's not just living on a parallel world, she's trapped there. The walls have closed."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

"I went back to her estate, in the nineties, just once or twice. Watched her growing up." Rita's eyes widened slightly. "Never said hello. Timelines and all that." She breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Do you want to die?"

"Oh, this one's a little stuck."

"Jack?"

The man sighed answering his question. "I thought I did. I don't know. But this lot." He started to grin widely. "You see them out here surviving, and that's fantastic."

"You might be out there, somewhere."

"I could go meet myself."

"Well, the only man you're ever going to be happy with." The Doctor laughed.

"This new regeneration, it's kind of cheeky."

"That's what the Stone keeps telling me." He laughed.

"Don't make me come up there and hit you round the head," Rita said knowing that the Doctor could hear her.

"I never understand half the things he says." Martha laughed looking at Rita and Chantho. Her face noticing Yana crying in the corner of her eye. "What's wrong?"

"Chan Professor, what is it tho?" Chantho, Martha and Rita walked up to him concerned.

"Time travel." He muttered. "They say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed. But what would I know? Stupid old man."

"Don't say that," Rita told him. "You did all of this all on your own."

"Never could keep time." Yana continued to mumble looking into space. "Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked." He brought out a fob watch. Rita slightly stepped back out if shock her hearts hammering in her chest.

"Time and time and time again. Always running out on me."

Martha stared at the watch the same worry on her face as the Time Lady's. "Can I have a look at that?"

"Oh, it's only an old relic. Like me."

"Where did you get it?

"Martha." Rita quietly whispered for her to stop.

"Hmm?" He hummed. "I was found with it."

Martha either ignored or did not hear the brunettes plead to stop. "What do you mean?"

"An orphan in the storm." He explained. "I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned, with only this."

"Have you opened it?"

"Why would I?" He chuckled shrugging. "It's broken."

"How do you know it's broken if you've never opened it?" Martha suggested.

"It's stuck." Yana started to mumble. "It's old. It's not meant to be. I don't know."

Martha slowly turned the watch over. Both girls gasped at the sight slightly stepping back, they glanced at each other knowing that they had to find the Doctor, Rita had a feeling of who this man was and didn't like it one bit.

"Does it matter?" Yana asked looking at them.

"No." Martha shook her head sounding a little too cheery. "It's nothing. It's." She stuttered.

"We're just going to go and check to see if the Doctor need's any help." Rita chuckled out of fear then sprinted off out of the room with Martha behind her running straight to the control room.

"Ah, nearly there." The Doctor beamed kissing Rita's forehead not noticing the fear struck across her face. "The footprint, it's a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It'll take the both of us to keep it stable." Martha slammed her hand on a button.

Martha swallowed glancing at the shaken Time Lady. "Doctor, it's the Professor." She calmly said. "He's got this watch. He's got a fob watch." The Doctor froze staring at her. "It's the same as yours. Same writing on it, same everything."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I asked him, the Stone tried to stop me but I asked. He said he's had it his whole life."

"So he's got the same watch," Jack said no understanding the situation.

"Yeah, but it's not a watch. It's this chameleon thing."

"No, no, no" Both Time Lords shook their heads. "It's this, this thing, this device, it rewrites biology. Changes a Time Lord into a human." The Doctor said taking the brunette's hand tightly seeing the frightened look on her face.

"And it's the same watch."

"It can't be." The Doctor frowned.

"That means he could be a Time Lord. You two might not be the last."

"Jack, keep it level!" The Doctor shouted taking the terrified brunette into a hug resting his chin on her head while rubbing her back.

"But that's brilliant, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Course it is. Depends which one. Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died, the Time Lords. All of them. They died." He then mumbled into Rita's hair. "Except for the Stone and I."

"Not if he was human," Jack remarked.

"What did he say, Martha?" The Doctor asked then shouted at her repeating himself. "What did he say?!"

She jumped slightly seeing the fear now in his eyes. "He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it. Like that perception filter thing."

"What about now? Can he see it now?"

"Doctor," Rita mumbled into his chest. "It's him." She tightened her grip on him afraid to let go. "It's the Master."

"I know, I know" He mumbled tightening his grip on her before kissing her hair, brushing it out of the way and kissing her head. "I know, I know."

"If he escaped the Time War then it's the perfect place to hide," Jack explained. "The end of the universe."

"Think of what the Face of Boe said." Martha muttered looking at the two Time Lords with worry. "His dying words. He said-" The Doctor turned the last switch still holding the brunette tightly in his arms as if when he let go something would happen to her.

"He always survives." Rita whimpered. "Every time, he survives."

The Doctor gently rubbed her back before grabbing what looked like a phone and shouting down it. "Lieutenant, have you done it? Did you get velocity?" He then shouted louder after gaining no answer. "Have you done it? Lieutenant, have you done it?"

"Affirmative. We'll see you in Utopia."

"Good luck." The Doctor then grabbed the brunette's hand and they ran to the door which then slammed shut on their faces.

"No, no, no!" Rita shouted hitting the door as the Doctor tried to open it with his sonic screwdriver as he screamed: " Get it open! Get it open!"

They managed to get the door open, the Doctor and Rita sprinted down the hall following Jack. They skidded to a stop and started to bang on the door. "Professor! Professor, let us in! Let us in!"

"Please, Professor!" Rita screamed hitting it as hard as she could.

"Jack, get the door open now!" The Doctor shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Professor!" The Doctor shouted louder and louder hitting the door harder and harder. "Professor, where are you?! Professor! Professor, are you there? Please, we need to explain. Whatever you do, don't open that watch!"

"Please don't!" Rita screamed.

Martha looked behind screaming as the futurekind were running towards them. "They're coming!"

"Professor!" Both Time Lords shouted.

"Open the door, please! We're begging you, Professor. Please, listen to us!" He cried his hands aching from slamming them against the door. "Just open the door, please." He begged.

Jack smashed the control panel allowing the door to open. The Doctor and Rita ran inside standing face to face with the Master who held his chest in pain. Grinning at them he stepped back inside the TARDIS carrying the jar as they ran up to the door. The Doctor frantically brought out his key. The Master locked the door before the Doctor inserted the key, he then stumbled over to the console and flicked a switch as the Doctor and Rita brought out their sonics' to open it.

"No!" Rita screamed now banging on the door.

"Let us in. Let us in!" The Doctor cried hitting the doors of the TARDIS with Rita.

"She's dead." Martha gasped checking Chantho's heartbeat.

"I broke the lock." Jack cried. "Give me a hand!"

"We're begging you." The Doctor cried out pulling Rita back from the TARDIS "Everything's changed! It's only the three of us! We're the only ones left! Just let us in!" He shouted.

"Doctor! Stone!" Jack shouted as the futurekind forced the door partly open. "You two better think of something!"

"Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!" The Master cackled now regenerated. "Oh. Now then, Doctor, Stone." He paused for a moment. "Ooo, new voice. Hello," He said in a high pitch then again in a lower pitch before going to his normal one. "hello. Hello. Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you two all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me," He laughed as Rita watched in horror standing beside the Doctor I don't think so!"

"Hold on. I know that voice."

"Just stop!" Rita screamed.

"We're asking you really properly." The Doctor then shouted. "Just stop. Just think!"

The Master coldly replied. "Use my name."

"Master." The Doctor and Rita breathed quietly. "I'm sorry."

"Tough!" he shouted laughing.

"I can't hold out much longer, Doctor!" Jack shouted. The Doctor raised his sonic trying to stop the Master. Rita did the same hoping to boost the signal.

"Oh, no you don't!" He shouted from inside the TARDIS as it dematerialised. "End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye!"

"Doctor, Stone, stop him!" Martha shouted then screamed as the futurekind opened the door even further. "Help us. They're getting in!"

The Time Lords helplessly watched as the TARDIS disappeared staring horrified at where the beloved blue box once stood awaiting the futurekind to break in.


	30. The Sound of Drums

"Hold still!" The Doctor ordered Jack holding his arm while Rita used her sonic to fix the vortex manipulator. "Don't move! Hold it still!"

"I'm telling you, it's broken. It hasn't worked for years."

"That's because you didn't have me or the Stone." The Doctor shouted over the cries of the futurekind.

"Done!" Rita informed them shouting and grabbing hold.

The Doctor then shouted. "Martha, grab hold, now!" He pressed the vortex manipulator and they vanished before reappearing in the alleyway. Rita groaned almost falling over if the Doctor didn't catch her.

"Thanks." She mumbled standing upright and brushing herself off slightly wincing at the pain in her head.

"Oh, my head." Martha then moaned touching her head in pain.

"Time travel without a capsule." The Doctor clicked his neck, Jack, doing the same. "That's a killer." They then walked out of the street looking around.

"Still, at least we made it. Earth, twenty-first century by the looks of it. Talk about lucky."

"That wasn't luck, that was the Stone." The Doctor said taking her hand and exiting the alleyway.

"Well, it's definitely 2008." She muttered as Jack and Martha caught up walking beside them.

"The moral is, if you're going to get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his vortex manipulator." Jack tapped his wrist grinning.

"But this Master bloke, he's got the TARDIS. He could be anywhere in time and space." Martha told them.

"No, he's here." The Doctor looked around.

"Trust us, Martha." Rita looked around the area wearily, the Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulder seeing her nerves were getting to her.

"Who is he, anyway?" Martha asked. "And that voice at the end, that wasn't the Professor."

"If the Master's a Time Lord, then he must have regenerated."

"What does that mean?" She asked.

Jack replied again seeing the Doctor was too busy trying to comfort the worried brunette. "It means he's changed his face, voice, body, everything. New man." The Doctor and Rita stared at a man tapping on his mug in the rhythm the Stone remembering the Master telling her about days just after the Time War started.

"Then how are we going to find him?"

"We will know him, the moment we see him. Time Lords always do." The Doctor replied not looking away from the Time Lady beside him.

"But hold on." Martha looked around at the posters. "If he could be anyone, we missed the election. But it can't be." She then stood up as a large screen showed a live broadcast. The Doctor stood up tightening his grip on the brunette's hand staring at the screen.

"Mister Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters." A man in the screen informed before the images cut off to show the new Prime Minister walking down the steps.

"I said I knew that voice." Martha stared at the large screen intently. "When he spoke inside the TARDIS. I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon."

"That's him." The Doctor grimly stated.

"He's Prime Minister." Rita spat feeling anger knowing the Master well enough that he would harm millions of lives just to get what he wanted.

"Mister Saxon, this way, sir. Come on, kiss for the lady, sir."

"The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain."  
The Master then kissed the woman beside him, the Time Lords looked in shock

"The Master and his wife?" Rita looked at the screen with horror and pity for the woman who no doubt was tricked into this. "That's something I didn't see coming, I always wondered the day when he would take over the Earth, never thought it would happen after the Time War."

"This country has been sick and _cold_." The Master said staring into the camera knowing exactly who was watching the broadcast. "This country needs healing and warmth. This country needs medicine." He took a breath and continued to speak again. "In fact, I'd go, so far as to say that what this country really needs right now, to fix it's _stone_ cold heart is a _Doctor_."

Not long after the broadcast the four headed to Martha's house, the Doctor and Rita pressing on with questions about 'Harold Saxon', who he was, his 'life' and the small details that they could use. "Home." Martha sighed happily.

"Martha do you have a laptop?" Rita asked looking over at her, she nodded and brought out a laptop handing it to her.

"Jack, who are you phoning?" The Doctor turned around glancing at him before angrily adding. "You can't tell anyone we're here."

"Just some friends of mine, but there's no reply." He sighed.

Jack walked over taking the laptop from the brunette and setting it down on the table. "I can show you the Saxon websites. He's been around for ages."

"That's so weird though," Martha muttered watching Jack on the computer. "It's the day after the election. That's only four days after I met you."

"We went flying all around the universe while he was here all the time."

"That's time travel for you." Rita sighed.

"You going to tell us who he is?" Martha then asked a little ruder than she meant.

"He's a Time Lord." The Doctor and Rita both answered.

"What about the rest of it?" She questioned, "I mean, who'd call himself the Master?"

"The more you know the more dangerous it becomes," Rita muttered knowing how true that statement was.

"Come on, show me, Harold Saxon."

Martha slowly walked over switching on her answering machine. "Martha, where are you?" The message sent by Tish played. "I've got this new job. You won't believe it. It's weird. They just phoned me up out of the blue. I'm working for-" Martha groaned cutting off the machine. "Oh, like it matters."

Rita sighed watching Jack sift through the pages and pages of information. "Let me." She forced him to move sitting down in front of the laptop. "If I'm good at anything it's finding information very, very quickly."

"She isn't wrong there." The Doctor nodded.

"I'll just go make tea," Jack mumbled walking off.

 _"I think you just broke him, Rita."_

 _"Oh, dear his ego is almost as big as your sweetheart."_

 _"Cheeky."_

 _"Just like you."_ She winked at him chuckling then turned to the laptop again scrolling through the information her eyes scanning it unbelievably fast.

Jack returned back moments later handing the Doctor tea, he placed one of the cups on the table for Rita then started to drink his own as a video of Sharon Osbourne played. "I'm voting Saxon. He can tick my box any day."

"Vote Saxon! Go, Harry!" The video switched to McFly then AnnWiddecombe.

"I think Mister Saxon is exactly what this country needs. He's a very fine man... And he's handsome too."

Jack pressed a button on the keyboard and started to read off the information. "Former Minister of Defence. First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve." Jack paused then turned to the Doctor and Stone. "Nice work, by the way.

"Oh, thanks."

"But he goes back years." Martha frowned. "He's famous. Everyone knows his story." She stood up and started scrolling through. "Look. Cambridge University, Rugby blue. Won the Athletics thing. Wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everything. He's got a whole life."

"But he's got the TARDIS." Jack frowned. "Maybe the Master went back in time and has been living here for decades."

The Doctor and Rita instantly replied. "No."

"Why not?" Jack then asked. "Worked for me."

"When he was stealing the TARDIS, the only thing we could do was fuse the coordinates. The Stone and I locked them permanently. He can only travel between the year one hundred trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed." The Doctor explained.

"Which lucky for us happens to be right here, right now." Rita added.

"Yeah, but a little leeway?"

"Well," the Doctor looked at Rita. "Eighteen months tops." She nodded in agreement. "The most he could have been here is eighteen months. So how has he managed all this? The Master was always sort of... hypnotic,"

"Sort of?" Rita scoffed. "I still remember when he tried to hypnotise me, he thought he could actually do that." She laughed a little. "Sometimes I think that he just thinks I'm stupid."

"Well, you have always been smarter than most of your family." The Doctor nodded before becoming serious. "But this is on a massive scale."

"I was going to vote for him." Martha blurted out.

"Really?" The Doctor and Rita looked at her.

"Well, it was before I even met you two. And I liked him."

"Me too." Jack added.

"Why do you say that?" The Doctor questioned. "What was his policy? What did he stand for?"

Martha stared out at the wall as if she was dreaming. "I don't know... He always sounded... good..." Rita looked at her hands and noticed the tapping, the same tapping as the homeless man earlier before. "Like you could trust him... Just, nice. He spoke about... I can't really remember, but it was good... Just the sound of his voice...

"What's that?" The Doctor asked looking down at her hands which suddenly stopped tapping as he spoke.

"What?" She frowned.

"That." The Doctor and Rita both said looking down at her hands.

"That tapping, that rhythm. What are you doing?"

"I don't know. It's nothing. It's ju- I don't know." Martha shrugged before they all turned to the laptop which switched to another broadcast.

"Oh look who it is." Rita groaned out of annoyance.

The Doctor turned on the TV before muttering. "Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom."

"Britain, Britain, Britain. What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen. Big Ben destroyed." The pictures changed to show clips of the events. "A spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again, and the government told you nothing." He then paused looked past the camera smiled then continued. "Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this. Citizens of Great Britain, I have been contacted. A message for humanity, from beyond the stars."

Rita frowned leaning closer to the screen as what looked like a metal robotics sphere began to talk. "People of the Earth, we come in peace. We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship." Rita glared at the TV as the Master came back onto the screen. If he had anything to do with something like this it would be anything but peace and friendship.

"Ooh, sweet." The Master grinned causing Rita to feel slightly sick. "And this species has identified itself. They are called the Toclafane."

The Doctor and Rita's mouths gaped open. "What?" They heard the stories. The Toclafane weren't real, stories you told younger children.

The Master then continued to speak. "And tomorrow morning, they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. Oh, I don't know," he paused grinning. "Every medical student?"

The Doctor, Rita and Jack snapped their necks in Martha's direction. The Doctor jumped up and turned the TV to see large explosive sticks attached to it. "Out!" He shouted. The Doctor grabbed the laptop as Rita grabbed his coat for him running out the door with Martha and Jack the Doctor shortly behind.

They crouched down when the massive explosion occurred causing a huge ball of fire to smash the glass.

The Doctor stood up glancing at everyone then went over to Rita. "All right?"

"I'm fine." She protested as he continued to check her over.

"Fine, yeah, fine." Jack nodded.

Rita swatted his hand away. "Sweetheart I'm fine, Martha?" She looked over to see her checking her phone.

"What are you doing?" The Doctor asked letting go of the brunette.

"He knows about me." She placed her phone to her ear. "What about my family?"

"Don't tell them anything." He shouted at her.

"I'll do what I like." She snapped at him. Moving away. "Mum?" She cried out. "Oh my God."

"Doctor we can't just stay here," Rita told him. "He's the bloody Prime Minister."

"I know." He sighed pulling her into his chest hugging her as Martha spoke to her mother.

"I don't know what we're going to do." The Stone mumbled.

"What we always do, figure it out along the way." He sighed rubbing her back.

"I can't believe he's back." She breathed. "All this time, and he survived, it had to be him, it could have been anyone but it was him."

They snapped their heads in Martha's direction when she mumbled into the phone. "Dad? Just say yes or no. Is there someone else there?"

"Yes!" They heard the cries from the phone. "Just run! Listen to me! Just run! I don't know who they are!"

"Dad?" Martha screamed grabbing her keys out of her pocket. "What's going on? Dad?!"

"We've got to help them." Martha cried out moving to her car.

"That's exactly what they want." The Doctor shouted. "It's a trap!"

"I don't care." She snapped. Getting into the driver seat.

Rita jumped into the back seat with Jack as the Doctor jumped in the front.

Martha then took off speeding down the road narrowly avoiding the traffic.

"Corner!" The Doctor and Rita shouted as Martha jerked the wheel avoiding the car by seconds.

Martha grabbed her phone placing it on speaker and rang her sister. "Come on, Tish. Pick up."

"Get off!" Rita heard Martha's sister scream. "Linda, tell them!"

"What's happening?" Martha shouted. "Tish!" She turned to the Doctor and then glanced at Rita in the mirror. "It's your fault." She angrily gritted her teeth. "It's all your fault!"

"Martha!" Rita shouted at her.

Martha slammed her foot on the brakes seeing guards pulling her mother towards a police van.

"I was helping you!" Her mother shouted. "Get off me!" She then looked up seeing Martha a look of terror on her face. "Martha, get out of here!" She screamed. "Get out!"

"Target identified." The armed police take up position aiming at the car.

"Martha, reverse." The Doctor told her. Rita swallowed grabbing the Doctors arm.

"Take aim." The woman in charge ordered.

"Get out, now!" The Doctor shouted.

"Fire!"

Martha swerved the car around. The Doctor pushed Rita to the floor as Jack did the same diving down as bullets slammed into the car.

"Move it!" He shouted hearing the rear window shatter as the car sped away.

"The only place we can go planet Earth. Great!" Martha shouted throwing her phone down./g

The Doctor shouted grabbing onto the wheel. "Careful!"

"Martha, listen to me." Jack leant between the seats. "Do as I say. We've got to ditch this car. Pull over." He shouted after she ignored him. "Right now!"

They ditched the car at an underpass. The Doctor, Rita and Jack walked on. Martha slowly walked behind on her phone. The Doctor looked round and snapped at her. "Martha, come on!"

"Leo! Oh, thank God." Martha gasped into her phone. "Leo, you got to listen to me. Where are you" she paused as he spoke then continued. "Leo, just listen to me. Don't go home. I'm telling you. Don't phone Mum or Dad or Tish." She pleaded. "You've got to hide. On my life. You've got to trust me. Go to Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone. Just hide." Martha then screamed into the phone. "Let them go, Saxon. Do you hear me! Let them go!" The Doctor and Rita spun around. The Doctor grabbed the phone and walked away from Martha and Jack, Rita following behind him.

"I'm here." He said into the phone.

Rita leant closer to him so she could hear the call. "Doctor."

"Master." He coldly replied.

"I like it when you use my name."

"You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day."

"As you chose yours. The man who makes people better. I guess that the Stone is there with you, practically glued together, never understood why she decided you."

"I'm here." She hissed.

"So, Prime Minister, then." The Doctor interrupted.

"I know." Rita could hear him practically grin into the phone. "It's good, isn't it?"

"Who are those creatures?" The Doctor asked. "Because there's no such thing as the Toclafane. It's just a made-up name, like the Bogeyman."

"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids?" He asked then continued talking before they answered. "Back home. Where is it, Doctor, Stone?"

"Gone." They both replied.

"How can Gallifrey be gone?" He snapped.

"It burnt."

"And the Time Lords?"

"Dead." The Doctor replied sadly looking at the brunette beside him. She rested a hand on his arm letting him know that she was there. "And the Daleks, more or less. What happened to you?"

"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War. I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me, because I was so scared."

"I know."

"All of them?" The Master asked. "But the Stone escaped so what happened?"

"I took the family TARDIS and ran."

"You stole the family TARDIS?" He growled at her. "You didn't have that right."

"Don't try and tell me about my rights" She gritted her teeth. "I got shot by a Dalek and regenerated then became scared that it was only me left." She swallowed. "So I went into a Parallel universe before the walls closed."

"But not you Doctor, which must mean..."

"I was the only one who could end it." The Doctor interrupted. "And I tried. I did. I tried everything."

"What did it feel like, though?" The Master asked. "Two almighty civilisations burning. Oh, tell me, how did that feel?"

Rita felt him tense up as he snapped into the phone. "Stop it!"

"You must have been like God." He laughed.

"That's enough!" Rita snapped at him growling.

"I've been alone ever since until the Stone came back. Then it was just us." He sighed. "But not anymore. Don't you see? All we've got is each other."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" The Master laughed. "The Stone wouldn't like that now would she?"

"You could stop this right now." The Doctor changed the conversation. We could leave this planet. We can fight across the constellations, if that's what you want, but not on Earth."

"Too late."

"Why do you say that?"

"The drumming. Can't you hear it?" The Master asked them. "I thought it would stop, but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming."

"We could help you. Please, let us help."

"The Stone already tried." Rita shivered slightly. Even for a second, the pain of that beat was unbearable. Constantly having that in your head was enough to make anyone go mad. "It's everywhere." He then hushed to a whisper. "Listen, listen, listen. Here come the drums. Here come the drums."

They spun round seeing a man nearby hitting his leg in the rhythm.

"What have you done?" The Doctor hissed.

"Leave them alone! We can fight on other planets they have done nothing wrong!" Rita shouted loudly.

"What are those creatures? Tell me!" The Doctor shouted over the brunette.

"Ooo look." The Master hummed. "You're on TV."

The Doctor snapped at him. "Stop it. Answer me."

"No, really. You're on telly. You and your little band, which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box. So, congratulations on that." He applauded them. "Look, there you are." They moved to a window seeing the TV inside a show showing a broadcast. 'Nationwide Hunt For Terrorist Suspects' the screen then brought up photos of the four. 'They are known to be armed and extremely dangerous.'

"Armed with what." Rita scoffed at how annoying she knew the media could be from when she was human.

"You're public enemies number one, two, three and four." The Master said ignoring the Time Lady's comment. "Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas, so he won't be getting any help from them." He laughed. "Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?" Rita frowned and did as he said then noticed the flashing light on the CCTV camera.

"Little privacy please." She spat pointing her sonic at the camera and watching it spark.

"Oh, you always enjoyed meddling with things haven't you Stone?" He cackled. "Better start running. Go on, run."

"He's got control of everything." The Doctor ran a hand through his hair.

"What do we do?" Martha worryingly asked looking at them both.

"We've got nowhere to go."

"Doctor, Stone, what do we do?" Martha repeated.

"Run, Doctor, Stone." He mocked. "Run for your lives!"

The Doctor looked down at Rita who nodded. They took the each other's hand then looked at Jack and Martha both replying in a monotone voice: "We run."

The four found an abandoned warehouse to hide in as they planned what to do, Martha left to go and buy some chips to eat while the Doctor and Rita thought of what to do next while Jack typed away at the keyboard.

Jack looked up noticing Martha had come back. "How was it?"

"I don't think anyone saw me." She sat down. "Anything new?"

Jack gestured to the laptop. "I've got this tuned to government wavelengths so we can follow what Saxon's doing."

"Yeah, I meant about my family." She snapped.

"It still says the Jones family taken in for questioning." The Doctor informed. "Tell you what, though. No mention of Leo."

"He's not as daft as he looks." Martha then shivered her face falling. "I'm talking about my brother on the run. How did this happen?"

"Nice chips." Jack chuckled grabbing a couple.

"Actually, they're not bad." The Doctor shrugged then looked at Rita as he held one. She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth as he placed one in.

"I'm not a pet you have to hand feed Doctor." She rolled her eyes. "Plus any chips not containing Krillitain oil is bound to be better."

"Krillitain what?" Martha looked at her, Rita went to explain but was cut off by Jack.

"So, Doctor, who is he? How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?"

"And what is he to you?" Martha asked looking at him. "Like a colleague or...?"

"A friend, at first."

"I thought you were going to say he was your secret brother or something."

"Martha you need to cut down on the amount of TV you watch, sadly he is my cousin." The brunette muttered. "Not that he acts like family."

"He's your cousin?!" Martha blinked at the Time Lady. "But he's..."

"He's?" She raised a brow.

"Completely mad, insane."

"That's what the high council do for you." She sighed.

"But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect," Jack said.

"Well, perfect to look at, maybe." The Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Oh, it was, beautiful," Rita said in awe. "They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems."

"And on the Continent of Wild Endeavour, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe," the Doctor added. "Looking down on the galaxies below. Sworn never to interfere, only to watch."

"They would be horrified seeing us now." Rita laughed. "My parents would disown me in an instant if they saw the way I act, especially how much I apparently act like the Doctor now."

"Perhaps that's a good thing?" He raised a brow smirking at her.

"Maybe it is." She laughed.

The Doctor then continued his explanation. "Children of Gallifrey, taken from their families age of eight to enter the Academy. And some say that's when it all began. When he was a child. That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. He stood in front of the Untempered Schism. It's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex."

"You stand there, eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child." Rita then added sounding slightly disgusted. She always disagreed with many of the ways the high council and other Time Lords were, even more so when she met the Doctor.

"Some would be inspired, some would run away, and some would go mad." The Doctor then shivered taking Rita's hand. "I don't know."

"What about you?"

"Oh, the ones that ran away, I never stopped."

"I, on the other hand, wanted to see it all." Rita chuckled. "I was more or less inspired and wanted to see the universe, its one of the reasons I started creating things and learning about it all, my parents saw how clever I became from my hobby and pushed me too far, tried to stop me from seeing my friends and to focus on my studies and eventually they pushed me away." She sighed. The Doctor looked at her sadly and kissed her temple knowing it was a hard subject, but she wanted to talk about it, she wanted to be able to put it behind her after all these centuries and he would support her.

They looked at Jack's arm as his vortex manipulator beeped. "Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognise it."

"Patch it through to the laptop." The Doctor told him.

"Since we're telling stories," Jack muttered. "There's something I haven't told you." Rita glanced at the screen her eyes snapping to Jack knowing how much it affected the Doctor after seeing the logo of Torchwood on the laptop.

"You work for Torchwood." The Doctor coldly hissed

"I swear to you, it's different. It's changed. There's only half a dozen of us now." Jack protested.

"Everything Torchwood did, and you're part of it?" He hissed.

"The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf." He promised. "I rebuilt it, I changed it, and when I did that, I did it for you in your honour. Both of you."

The Doctor looked over at Rita who looked at him telling him to drop the subject, sighing he angrily hit play and a video began to play.

There was a woman sitting at a desk looking worried. "If I haven't returned to my desk by twenty-two hundred, this file will be emailed to Torchwood. Which means if you're watching this, then I'm..." She paused then shook her head. "Anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harry Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network."

"What is this Archangel Network?" Rita asked looking at Martha.

"I've got Archangel. Everyone's got it."

"It's a mobile phone network," Jack explained as an image of the earth appeared showing multiple satellites around it. "Because look, it's gone worldwide. They've got fifteen satellites in orbit. Even the other networks, they're all carried by Archangel."

"It's in the phones!" The Doctor and Rita realised as he grabbed Marthas phone sonicing it.

"Oh, I said he was a hypnotist." The Doctor said. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold on." He lightly hit it on the table.

"Of course." Rita breathed hearing the beeping in the rhythm of what she heard all them years ago. "It's in the subconscious, that rhythm over and over again."

"What is it, mind control?"

"No, no, no, no, no." The Doctor replied before Rita could. "It's subtler than that. Any stronger and people would question it. But contained in that rhythm, in layers of code, Vote Saxon. Believe in me. Whispering to the world." He looked at Rita "Oh, yes! That's how he hid himself from us, because we should have sensed there was another Time Lord on Earth. We should have known way back."

"The signal cancelled him out." Rita guessed and he nodded.

"Any way you two can stop it?"

"Not from down here." He replied. "But now we know how he's doing it."

"And we can fight back." Martha beamed.

"Oh, yes!"

"Won't take a few minutes or so." Rita stretched. "Sorry Martha I need your phone and laptop, I'll fix them back up later though." She muttered taking the laptop and started to remove parts of it while the Doctor took parts from the phone. Rita then pulled out her key as Jack and Martha did the same handing their keys over. The Time Lords then sonically welded the parts of the phone and laptop to the key before Rita held one up in the air admiring her work. "Not bad for a laptop, phone and four TARDIS keys." She shrugged.

"Four TARDIS keys. Four pieces of the TARDIS, all with low-level perception properties because the Tardis is designed to blend in."

"Meant to." Rita corrected the Doctor. "I like it as the phone box anyways."

"Well, sort of." He trailed off for a moment. "But now, the Archangel Network's got a second low-level signal." He then backed up taking a key with him. "Weld the key to the network and Martha, look at me. You can see me, yes?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"What about now?" He placed the key with the string around his neck. Martha frowned trying to focus on him, her eyes slowly drifted to the side.

The Doctor could see this was working and waved at her. "No, I'm here. Look at me."

"It's like I know you're there, but I don't want to know."

"And back again." He took the key off stepping forward. "See?"

Rita then cut in explaining. "It shifts your perception a tiny bit. It doesn't make us invisible, just unnoticed."

The Doctor clicked his fingers thinkings. "Oh, I know what it's like... It's like, it's like when you fancy someone and they don't even know you exist." Rita looked at the Doctor a little guilty remembering back to a day where they were both in the library talking and he brought up a topic which then led on to them both confessing when they noticed they had feelings for one another. The Doctor looked at her sadly knowing what she was thinking about. "Don't blame yourself." He told her. "It wasn't like you would have known." He kissed her cheek causing the brunette to blush knowing that Jack and Martha were watching. "Come on." He took her hand leading them out of the warehouse.

Jack noticed the look on Martha's face. "You too, huh?"

"It isn't like I can say anything." She sighed. "They're both Time Lords and have known each other for years." She muttered walking out after them.

They walked under a bridge as the Doctor quietly explained. "Don't run, don't shout. Just keep your voice down. Draw attention to yourself and the spell is broken. Just keep to the shadows."

"Like ghosts."

The Doctor and Rita nodded. "Yeah, that's what we are. Ghosts." They placed the keys around their necks. The Doctor and Rita took the lead with Jack and Martha just behind them.


	31. The Sound of Drums - Two

The four watched from afar at the airport just in range to hear the conversation between the Master and the President. "Mister President, sir." The Master saluted grinning.

"Mister Saxon, the British Army will stand down." He ordered. "From now on, UNIT has control of this operation."

"You make it sound like an invasion." The Master groaned.

"First Contact policy was decided by the Security Council in 1968, and you've just gone and ignored it."

"Well, you know what it's like. New job, all that paperwork. I think it's down the back of the settee. I did have a quick look. I found a pen, a sweet, a bus ticket and," he paused seeing the annoyed look on the man's face, he glanced to his left, "er, have you met the wife?"

"Mister Saxon, I'm not sure what your game is but there are provisions at the United Nations to have you removed from office unless you are very, very careful. Is that understood?" He asked. "Are you taking this seriously? To business. We've accessed your files on these Toclafane. First Contact cannot take place on any sovereign soil. To that purpose, the aircraft carrier Valiant is en route. The rendezvous will take place there at eight am." The Master then began to gesture mouthing with his hands, the President then groaned. "You're trying my patience, sir."

"So America is completely in charge?"

"Since Britain elected an ass, yes." He snapped. "I'll see you onboard the Valiant."

"It still will be televised, though, won't it. Because I promised, and the whole world is watching."

"Since it's too late to pull out, the world will be watching _me_." The President then walked away.

"The last President of America." The Master informed his wife in a whisper watching the man walk away. "We have a private plane ready and waiting. We should reach the Valiant within the hour. My darling." The Master then watched his wife leave and then heard the sirens of a police van.  
"Ha ha ha! Hi, guys!" He beamed full of joy as he opened the back doors pulling out the Jones'

"You can't just do this." Martha's father hissed.

"All will be revealed." The Master patted his back.

Martha looked on at her parents gasping. "Oh my God."

"Don't move."

"But the-"

"Don't," Rita warned backing the Doctor up, lashing out would only lead to him possibly seeing and capturing all of them.

"I'm going to kill him." Martha gritted her teeth. Rita looked over at her in fear.

"What say I use this perception filter to walk up behind him and break his neck?"

"Now that sounds like Torchwood." The Doctor remarked.

"Still a good plan."

"The Master is a Time Lord not to mention my cousin meaning that if he was anybody's responsibility it would be mine as his older cousin. "I am not here to kill him, I will not go down to his level." Rita calmly told them her voice flat but serious. "I'm here to save him."

"I've known him almost as long as you have, he's caused you pain Stone, he's my responsibility just as much as he is yours."

"Doctor-" Rita went to protest but was cut off by him.

"No Stone, I know what he has done to you and I will not let you stand there alone against him." He firmly told her.

"Aircraft carrier Valiant." Jack started pressing his vortex manipulator. "It's a UNIT ship at fifty-eight point two north, ten point o two east."

"How do we get on board?" Martha asked watching the Master run around like a dangerous mad man.  
"Does that thing work as a teleport?" The Doctor asked.

"Since the Stone revamped it, yeah." He nodded. "Coordinates set." They all placed their hands on his vortex manipulator then disappeared reappearing on the Valiant.

"Oh, that thing is rough." Martha groaned.

"I've has worse nights." Jack stood up cracking his neck as Rita groaned stretching. "Welcome to the Valiant."

Martha looked out a porthole-like window. "It's dawn? Hold on, I thought this was a ship. Where's the sea?"

"A ship for the twenty-first century, protecting the skies of planet Earth," Jack explained.

The four started running the corridors of the Valiant before Rita froze to a stop. The Doctor skidded to a halt as well looking back at her. He then started to listen as well seeing the concentration on her face.

"We've no time for sightseeing," Jack commented going to run again.

"No, wait. Shush, shush, shush, shush." The Doctor hushed him and Martha. Rita then spoke up.

"Can't you hear it?"

"Hear what?" He asked.

"Doctor, Stone, my family's on board." Martha reminded them.

"Brilliant." The Doctor beamed taking the brunette's hand. "This way." He informed Martha and Jack taking off down the corridor.

 _"Rita, don't argue, don't say no, but if he gets me go with Martha."_

 _"N-"_ she went to protest.

 _"Do it. Please, I need to know your safe."_

 _"Doctor I'm safe with you."_

 _"Not if he's anywhere near you, I know he's your cousin but I don't trust him."_ The Doctor retorted running down another corridor. They came to end and the Doctor opened the doors. "Oh, at last!" He shouted shouted.

"Oh, yes!"

"Ha ha!" Rita beamed running over to the TARDIS and patting it.

"What's it doing on the Valiant?" Jack asked. The Doctor and Rita ignored him as the Doctor placed his key in the door opening it.

"No, no, no." Rita breathed in horror.

"What the hell's he done?" Jack looked around the TARDIS which held a dark red light, there was wire where the rotor was trapped with metal.

"Don't touch it." The Doctor ordered.

"I'm not going to."

"What's he done though?" Martha asked. "Sounds like it's sick."

"It can't be. No, no, no, no, no, no, it can't be." The Doctor muttered running a hand through his hair as Rita did the same.

"What is it?"

"He's cannibalised the TARDIS." The Doctor said in disgust.

"Is this what I think it is?" Jack asked.

"He made the TARDIS a paradox machine." Rita spat gritting her teeth. "This is too far even for him, he can do all he likes to me but destroy the last beautiful living time travel space ship and now he is in trouble."

"Don't say that." The Doctor looked over to her. "I won't let him near you."

"Doctor you can't promise that." Rita sighed walking over to him and cupping his cheek."

"Yeah sorry to ruin your moment but there are bigger things to worry about." Jack interrupted.

Rita sighed knowing he was right and quickly pecked the Doctors lips before running round to the gauge. "As soon as this hits red, it activates." She informed them tapping it. "I'm going to take a guess here and say that it would trigger at two minutes past eight with the speed it's going at."

"First contact is at eight, then two minutes later," Jack informed.

"What's it for? What does a paradox machine do?"

"More important, can you two stop it?" Jack asked.

"Not till We know what it's doing. Touch the wrong bit, blow up the solar system." The Doctor replied.

"Let's not touch it then," Rita suggested stepping back a little and pulled the Doctor with her.

"Then we've got to get to the Master," Martha said.

"Yeah. How are we going to stop him?"

"Oh, I've got a way." The Doctor grinned. "Sorry, didn't I mention it?"

They headed towards the flight deck. The Doctor sighed turning to Rita before they entered and looked into her eyes seeing slight fear. He placed his hand under her chin and pulled her gently towards his lips softly yet quickly kissing her. He knew the Master could possibly find them and he wanted to say a somewhat goodbye because he didn't know how far the Master would go this time if they didn't do this.

 _"What was that for?"_ Rita breathed out telepathically speaking into his mind.

 _"I love you, always remember that my dear Stone."_ He then turned and walked into the room quietly. Jack and Martha shared a glance wondering what the sudden gesture was for. They followed in after the Doctor and Rita.

"For as long as man has looked at the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone."

"This plan, you going to tell us?" Jack whispered to the Doctor as they reached the back of the room.

"No longer unique in the universe." Winters continued.

The Doctor held up his key slightly. "If I can get this around the Master's neck, cancel out his perception, they'll see him for real. It's just hard to go unnoticed with everyone on red alert. If they stop me you've got a key."

"Yes, sir." Jack nodded.

"I'll get him."

The Doctor glanced at Rita who swallowed hard, she promised him even if she never said she did. She had to get Martha out and help her, help her send the message, the story right the way around the earth.

"And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane." Winters held up his arms and stepped aside as four of the spheres appeared. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President-Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations." He introduced himself to them. "I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon."

"You're not the Master." A male sphere stated.

"We like the Mister Master."

"We don't like you."

Winters stuttered in confusion. "I can be master if you so wish. I will accept mastery over you if that is God's will."

"Man is stupid." The other male sphere spat.

"Master is our friend."

"Where's my Master, pretty please?"

The Master sighed waving his hands about then jumping up out of his seat. "Oh, all right then. It's me. Ta da! Sorry, sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy." He laughed moving to the front of the desk.

"Saxon, what are you talking about?" Winters spat.

"I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you." He hissed. "Kill him."

A sphere pointed its weapon at Winters and blasted him into pieces. The Master hen laughed and clapped.

"Guards." The Master said moving up to the stairs.

"Nobody move!" They shouted. "Nobody move!"

He then looked at the cameras. "Now then, peoples of the Earth. Please attend carefully." The Doctor then took off his key and attempted to run at the Master, two of the guards grabbed him as one shouted.

"We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho. I love saying that."  
The Doctor gritted his teeth trying to get out of the guard's grasp. "Stop it! Stop it now!"

"As if a perception filter's going to work on me." He scoffed. "And look at that. It's my dearest cousin." He grinned at Rita. "I knew you wouldn't be far away."

"Family don't go and put their family against themselves because of jealousy!" She shouted. Jack pulled her back as she tried to run at the Master.

"Always thinking it's personal with you." The Master snapped then looked over at the two beside her. "Oh look, it's the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which." Jack let go of Rita and sprinted forward. The Master pulled out a device and zapped Jack who then fell to the floor dead.

"Laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!" He laughed.

"Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself-"

"Oh, do excuse me." He looked at the camera. "Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute. Let him go." He ordered.

"It's that sound." The Doctor pleaded. "The sound in your head. What if I could help?"

"Oh, how to shut him up?" He looked at Rita laughing. "I know. Memory Lane." He sat on the steps in front of the Doctor. "Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his genetic manipulation device? What, did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver?But, ooh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do."

"You wouldn't!" Rita hissed.

The Master ignored her comment walking over to a metal case. "I've got his hand. And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years?" He rhetorically asked then looked at Rita dead in the eye. "Oh but my cousin, I am" he then pointed the screwdriver at the Doctor who cried out in pain being made older and older. Rita's eyes became glassy filled with tears watching helplessly. Jack then became alive again as Martha pulled Rita down with her to talk to Jack as she squeezed her eyes shut hearing the cries of the Doctor.

"Teleport," Jack told them handing the vortex manipulator to Martha.

"I can't."

"We can't stop him," Jack whispered. "He would want you to go, especially you, Stone." Jack turned to her. "Get out of here the two of you. Get out." He ordered them.

The Master finished zapping the Doctor who fell to he ground. Rita ran over and caught him holding him tightly. "Oh, sweetheart." She swallowed thickly tightly hugging him.

Martha ran over as well. "Doctor we got you." She held his other side.

"It looks like my cousin doesn't live up to her name, your heart isn't as cold as stone anymore."

"You know just as much as anyone why I picked my name." She spat at him. Her eyes glanced to the Doctor before she narrowed them at the Master.

The Master made a disgusted face then turned to look at Martha. "And she's a would-be doctor. But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown them in all the way from prison." He pointed to the back of the room as Martha mother, father and sister were brought in.

"Mum." Martha cried.

"I'm sorry." Marthas mother shook her head violently.

"The Toclafane." The Doctor said clutching on to Rita for support. "What are they? Who are they?"

"Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break." He told him.

"Is it time? Is it ready?" A sphere asked.

"Is the machine singing?"

The Master checked his watch grinning. "Two minutes past." He jumped up the stairs and looked into the camera. "So, Earthlings. Basically, er, end of the world. Here come the drums!" He shouted and ran around the room.

Rita looked at the Doctor who looked unbelievably weak. A tear rolled down her eye. The Doctor gently raised a shaking hand and wiped it away she smiled softly at the gesture even when she knew he was hurting, she kissed his cheek. _"I'm sorry."_

 _"Shush."_ He told her. _"It's not your fault."_

 _"I love you"_ she blinked back her tears, a couple managing to stray, rolling down her cheeks.

 _"I love you too my dear. Go with Martha."_ Rita slowly nodded hearing the Master whispering to his wife. "How many do you think?"

"I, I don't know."

"Six billion. Down you go, kids!" He shouted at the spheres as they flew down to Earth.

"Shall we decimate them?" The Master asked. "That sounds good. A nice word, decimate. Remove one tenth of the population!" He then shouted to the sphere.

The Doctor looked at Rita who nodded already knowing what he was going to say to the girl beside her. He then whispered to Martha who then stepped away with Rita holding Jacks vortex manipulator. Martha and Rita held on and then disappeared from the Valiant.

They both fell to the grass London in the distances with millions of spheres burning the city. Both standing up the stared in horror. "We're coming back." Martha gritted her teeth as the Stone nodded before they both turned and left running into the woods.


	32. Last of the Time Lords

Rita and Martha shivered sitting in the rowing boat as it headed towards the beach. It had been a year since Rita had seen the Doctor, A year since she had spoken to him, been with him and it hurt her hearts. They jumped out the boat as it left running to a man on the beach signalling for them to come over.

"What's your name, then?" Martha asked.

He replied. "Tom Milligan. No need to ask who you are. The famous Martha Jones with the Stone. How long since you were last in Britain?" Tom asked.

"Three hundred and sixty-five days." She sighed.

"It's been a long year," Rita muttered.

"So what's the plan?"

"This Professor Docherty," Martha explained before Rita cut in. "We need to see her. Can you get us there?"

"She works in a repair shed, Nuclear Plant Seven. I can get you both inside. What's all this for? What's so important about her?"

"Sorry, the more you know, the more you're at risk," Martha replied as they follow Tom to a car.

"There's a lot of people depending on you both." He said then looked at the brunette. "You're a bit of a legend."

"And this legend?" Rita raised a brow. "What does it say then?"

"That you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America. That you were the only two that got out of Japan alive." He replied. "The Stone and Martha Jones, they say, their going to save the world. Bit late for that."

"Oh, I tend to not give up hope," Rita muttered as they walked closer to the car.

"How come you can drive?" Martha asked. "Don't you get stopped?"

"Medical staff. Used to be in paediatrics back in the old days. But that gives me a licence to travel so I can help out other the labour camps."

"Great," Martha muttered. "I'm travelling with a doctor."

"Story of my life." Rita chuckled lightly.

They started to drive in silence before Tom started a conversation with Martha. "Story goes that you're the only person on Earth who can kill him. That you, and you alone, can kill the Master stone dead."

Martha glanced back at Rita remembering what she said at the airport a year ago coldly muttering. "Let's just drive."

They continued to drive in silence until reaching the quarry, they ditched the car and continued through on foot. Rita groaned seeing a carving of the Master in stone. "All over the Earth, those things. He's even carved himself into Mount Rushmore."

"I think he just did that to try and remind me of who's in charge." She shivered slightly. "Or just to mock me because he knows how much he annoyed me as a child." Tom looked at her raising his brows in confusion. "He's my cousin, "

Tom nodded his head as they looked over the quarry seeing the millions of rockets. "Best to keep down. Here we go. The entire south coast of England converted into shipyards. They bring in slave labour every morning. Break up cars, houses, anything, just for the metal. Building a fleet out of scrap."

"You should see Russia. That's Shipyard Number One. All the way from the Black Sea to the Bering Strait, there's a hundred thousand rockets getting ready for war." Martha told him.

"War? With who?"

"The rest of the universe, my home planet _was_ out there." the Stone looked up at the sky sighing a little.

"And I've been out there, Tom, in space, before all this happened, and there's a thousand different civilisations all around us with no idea of what's happening here." She explained. "The Master can build weapons big enough to devastate them all."

"You've been in space?" Tom asked shocked not even mentioning Rita being from another planet.

"Problem with that?" She asked.

"No. No, just er, wow." He looked at her then Rita. "Anything else I should know?"

"I've met Shakespeare." Martha said before two of the spheres flew in from behind the statue. Martha and Rita froze looking out towards the rockets.

"Identify, little man." One of the spheres mocked him.

"I've got a licence." He shakily brought it out. "Thomas Milligan, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel. I was just checking for-"

"Soon the rockets will fly, and everyone will need medicine." It cut him off. "You'll be so busy." They both laughed flying off. Rita and Martha sighed in relief.

Tom then looked at them both frowning. "But they didn't see you."

"How do you think we travelled the world?" Martha asked showing the TARDIS key.

"I helped make it," Rita mumbled in thought before shaking her head. "Anyways, the Master set up the Archangel mobile network made up of fifteen satellites around the planet, but in reality it was all just cover for him to be able to transmit a low-level psychic field so I wouldn't sense him on Earth as well as a way for him to 'trick' everyone into thinking that he was just a man named Harold Saxon." She finished explaining following Tom.

"Feels like years ago." He shook his head.

"But the key's tuned into the same frequency." She added. "That makes us not invisible-"

"just unnoticeable." Martha cut in.

"Well, I can see you." Tom protested.

"That's because you wanted to".

"Yeah, I suppose I did." He shrugged.

"Is there a Mrs Milligan?" Martha then asked.

"No. No. What about you?"

"No." She shook her head sadly looking at Rita knowing what she was thinking about.

"Stone?" Tom looked at her.

"There was... is someone." She corrected herself. "Anyway Andiamo." She forced a grin.

"We'll have to wait until the next work shift." Tom said. "What time is it now?"

Martha looked at her watch then replied. "It's nearly three o'clock."

Tom led the two through the fields. he cut a gap through the shipyard's chain link fence allowing them both through before following behind, they ran into a building where a woman was thumping a TV in anger.

Tom spoke up stepping forward in front of them both. "Professor Docherty?"

"Busy." She groaned not looking up from what she was doing.

"They, er, they sent word ahead. I'm Tom Milligan. This is the Stone and Martha Jones."

"She can be a ruby and the other can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care. I'm still busy."

"Televisions don't work anymore." Martha snapped.

"Oh God, I miss Countdown. Never been the same since Des took over. Both Deses. What's the plural for Des? Desi? Deseen?" Tom and Martha glanced at each other as Rita smiled seeing a small hint of herself in the woman. "But we've been told there's going to be a transmission from the man himself." Rita discreetly reached into her pocket smirking and then soniced the TV which then fizzed before showing a black and white image. She didn't use her sonic often since the spheres were almost always around and that it reminded her of the Doctor, but when she did she didn't want to show it off, her and Martha lerned that people will do whatever to survive, they learned that the hard way.

"There!" Docherty beamed.

The screen stopped slightly becoming static to show a cleanish black and white image of the Master. "My people. Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child and a Stone, walking the Earth, giving you hope. But I ask you how much hope has this man got?" He pushed a wheeled chair over clearly showing the Doctor. "Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old, but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted little apes." the Master spat as Rita's hearts leapt seeing that the Doctor wasn't as bad as she thought. "But what if it showed?" He laughed causing Rita's eyes to widen slightly and her hands to tighten into fists wanting to punch the TV or just scream our of anger. "What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All nine hundred years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?" The Master stepped out of view and returned his screwdriver then zapped the Doctor causing him to cry out. "Older and older and older." He murmured. "Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down the years." Suddenly the convulsion ended and the Doctor was no longer in his chair. The Master looked down at the ground where the pile of his clothes were. "Doctor." He watched as a head with what looked like soft and hurt brown eyes peered out. Rita's hearts ached but she knew he was going to be okay in the end and that pushed her on. The Master then walked back to the camera. "Received and understood, Stone, Miss Jones?"

"I'm sorry." Tom looked at them both. Rita and Martha started smiling before hugging each other. "He's okay." Rita breathed.

"The Doctor's still alive." Martha laughed.

Docherty moved over to pick out some files, she read a couple of papers with information she had on the spheres then handed them to Tom as well as Rita and Martha.

"This is brilliant." Rita breathed looking around the workshop. "The Doctor would love this." She said sadly.

"We'll see him soon Stone."

"I know." She nodded before walking back over to them.

"Obviously the Archangel Network would seem to be the Master's greatest weakness," Docherty explained. "Fifteen satellites all around the Earth, still transmitting. That's why there's so little resistance. It's broadcasting a telepathic signal that keeps people scared."

"We could just take them out," Tom suggested.

"We could. Fifteen ground to air missiles. You got any on you? Besides, any military action, the Toclafane descend."

"They're not called Toclafane." Rita said. "The Master made that up. Stories we were told as children, something you told your younger siblings and friends, like when you would go around telling people ghost stories." Rita explained thinking back to a time when the Doctor practically made her hide under her bed for a week from stories he told her.

Docherty frowned. "Then what are they, then?"

"That's why we came to find you. Know your enemy. We've got this." Martha pulled out a CD from her bag.

"No one's been able to look at a sphere close up. They can't even be damaged, except once. The lightning strike in South Africa brought one of them down, just by chance. We've got the readings on this." She handed the disc to Docherty who inserted it into her computor and hit to as it struggled to read the data. "Oh, whoever thought we'd miss Bill Gates." She muttered hitting it again.

"So is that why you travelled the world? To find a disc?" Tom asked them.

"No. Just got lucky."

"I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon." Docherty muttered then beamed as the screen lit up showing the data. "There! A current of fifty eight point five kiloamperes transferred charge of five hundred and ten megajoules precisely."

"Can you recreate that?"

"Yes." Rita automatically answered. "The question is can you Professor Docherty?" She raised a brow at the woman.

She nodded. "I think so." Then paused. "Easily. Yes."

"Right then, Doctor Milligan, we're going to get us a sphere."

"Now I must say, Professor Docherty," Rita said connecting wires. "I wouldn't normally agree with this, but given the current situation I don't have much choice in the matter."

"He's coming!" Martha shouted turning the corner and sprinting towards them. "Are you two ready?!"

"You do your job, I'll do mine!" She shouted. Tom then ran past the clearing and shouted at them. Rita flicked a switch and the electrical field appeared. the sphere flew straight into it getting electrocuted before falling to the floor.

"That's only half the job," Docherty said walking up to the sphere. "Let's find out what's inside." They brought the sphere back to the workshop and watched as Docherty attempted to open it up. "There's some sort of magnetic clamp. Hold on, I'll just trip the-" She stopped as the four quarters of the top of the sphere opened.

"Oh my God!" Docherty gasped staring at what looked like a withered head. The head had wires going into it and a device where a mouth would be. Rita looked at it intently before jumping back as the sphere's heads eyes snapped open.

"It's alive." Docherty breathed.

The sphere looked around before noticing Martha. "Martha. Martha Jones."

"It knows you." Tom stared at Martha.

"And the Stone." the sphere looked at Rita. "Sweet, kind Martha Jones. You helped us to fly."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You led us to salvation." It replied.

"Who exactly are you?" Rita asked slightly stepping forward

"The skies are made of diamonds." It whispered Rita frowned until shifting her eyes to Martha as she gasped.

"No. You can't be him."

"We share each other's memories. You sent him to Utopia."

"No." Rita gasped realising what they were.

"Oh, my God."

"What's it talking about?" Tom asked pointing a gun at it. "What's it mean?"

"What are they?" Docherty asked.

"Martha." He looked at her. "Stone, Martha, tell us. What are they?"

"They're human." Rita told them. "They're the human race billions of years into the future."

Martha then began to explain. "I'd sort of worked it out with the paradox machine, because the Doctor said, on the day before the Master came to power, he said 'When he was stealing the TARDIS, the only thing we could do was fuse the coordinates. The Stone and I locked them permanently. He can only travel between the year one hundred trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed.'"

"Which was Earth last year," Rita added. "The Master had the TARDIS, the Doctor's brilliant time machine. We fused the coordinates so he could only go to the end of the universe..."

"So he found Utopia. The Utopia Project was the last hope. Trying to find a way to escape the end of everything." Martha finished explaining.

"There was no solution, no diamonds. Just the dark and the cold, but then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home."

"The Master stole the TARDIS which is the time machine." Rita snapped.

"But that's a paradox." Docherty brought the conversation back. "If you're the future of the human race, and you've come back to murder your ancestors, you should cancel yourselves out. You shouldn't exist."

"And that's what the Master did, destroyed the TARDIS and made her a paradox machine."

"But what about us?" Tom asked. "We're the same species. Why do you kill so many of us?"

The sphere began to laugh. "Because it's fun!" Tom pointed the gun at it. Rita shouted for him not to but it was too late, the bang rang out in their ears as the head in the sphere was instantly killed.

Rita groaned out of anger, she sat down on the edge of a bed Martha following, resting her head in her hands she angrily stared at nothingness.

"I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Jones," Docherty said sitting down not bothering to talk to Rita seeing how angry she was. "The legend says you've travelled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?" Martha looked at Rita who nodded in approval then began to explain to them while the Time Lady grabbed the bag.

"Just before we escaped, the Doctor told me something." Rita placed the bag down bringing out a box and handing it to Martha. "The Doctor, the Stone and the Master, they've been coming to Earth for years and they've been watched. There's UNIT and Torchwood, all studying Time Lords in secret."

"Something I disagree on, I'm no lab rat," Rita said in thought.

Martha then opened the box revealing a device looking a lot like a gun with a squeeze trigger and four small cylinders along the top as well as three vials of coloured liquid. "And they made this, the ultimate defence."

"All you need to do is get close," Tom informed. "I can shoot the Master dead with this."

"Actually, you can put that down now, thank you very much." Docherty interrupted.

"I second that. But you can't just kill a Time Lord that easily, we can regenerate, sort of a trick if you think about it cheating death if you wish, it can be a blessing or a curse."

"Ah, the Master's immortal. Wonderful." Docherty sarcastically groaned.

"Except for this." Martha held the device up. "Four chemicals, slotted into the gun. Inject him. Kills a Time Lord permanently."

"Four chemicals?" Tom asked. "You've only got three."

"Still need the last one, because the components of this gun were kept safe, scattered across the world, and we found them. San Diego, Beijing, Budapest and London." Martha placed the device back in the box.

"Then where is it?"

"There's an old UNIT base, north London. The Stone found the access codes. Tom, you've got to get us there."

"We can't get across London in the dark." He protested as Rita and Martha packed up their things. "It's full of wild dogs. We'll get eaten alive. We can wait till the morning, then go with the medical convoy."

"You can spend the night here, if you like." Docherty suggested.

Tom declined. "No, we can get halfway, stay at the slave quarters in Bexley. Professor, thank you." He hugged the woman.

"And you. Good luck." She smiled as Martha kissed her cheek.

"Thanks."

"Good luck Professor." Rita nodded shaking her hand before leaving with Martha.

"Martha, could you do it? Could you actually kill him?"

"We've got no choice." Martha sadly replied as Rita swallowed hard.

"You might be many things, but you don't look like a killer to me," Docherty remarked. The Martha nodded then turned to follow Tom and Rita.

Travelling on foot they reached the street where the slave quarters were in Bexley, Tom cautiously led them up the street to the house and knocked on the door. He quietly muttered through the door letting them know on the inside that it was him. The door then opened and Tom let the Stone enter first followed by Martha then himself. Upon walking inside the house was full of people crammed around on the floor, the stairs, everywhere.

"Did you bring food?" A woman pleaded.

Tom sadly shook his head leading the two further in. "Couldn't get any, and I'm starving."

"All we've got is water."

"I'm sorry," Martha muttered looking around at the people.

Tom nodded sadly then informed them. "It's cheaper than building barracks. Pack them in, a hundred in each house, ferry them off to the shipyards every morning."

"Are you the Stone and Martha Jones?" A young boy spoke up from the stairs looking through the bannister.

"Yeah, that's us." Martha nodded.

"Can you do it? Can you kill him?" He asked looking at Martha. "They said you can kill the Master, can you?" Rita looked at him worryingly. She knew they weren't going to; these people wanted him dead. "Tell us you can do it. Please, tell us you can do it."

"Who is the Master?" A woman spoke up before groups of people started to question the two.

"Come on, just leave them alone," Tom spoke over the top of the questioning people. "They're exhausted."

Rita looked over at Martha who nodded, this is what they came around the world to do being tired wasn't going to stop them.

"No, it's okay," Rita spoke up. "We can talk."

"We travelled across the world, from the ruins of New York to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere we went, we saw people just like you, living as slaves." Martha said sitting down on the stairs.

"But if the Stone and Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong, because our names aren't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there with her." She nodded at Rita. "The man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there, him and the Stone." Martha smiled at Rita. "He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him. I know him. And I know what he can do."

"And he's brilliant." Rita smiled. "I love him so much. It hurts my hearts to not be beside him seeing the silly grin on his face when something amazing happens." She started to ramble on faintly blushing after she noticed she was talking about the Doctor.

A woman then burst in. "It's him! It's him!" She cried out. "Oh my God, it's him! It's the Master. He's here."

"But he never comes to Earth. He never walks upon the ground." The boy from before cried out. Rita glanced at Martha and pulled her into a hug.

"Hide them!" The woman shouted. Tom then threw an old sack in their direction covering them with it.

"He walks among us, our lord and master." The boy muttered.

"Martha. Martha Jones." The Master sung loudly from the street. "Oh, my dearest cousin, Stone. I can see you!" He laughed. "Out you come, little girl." He cooed. "And you older cousin. You come out as well. Come and meet your master." He hummed then paused waiting. "Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing? Positions." He shouted. "I'll give the order unless you both surrender. Ask yourself, Martha Jones. What would the Doctor do?" Martha and Rita look at each other knowing it was time. They took off their TARDIS keys and walked outside.

"Oh, yes." He laughed clapping. "Oh, very well done. Good girls. He trained you well." The Master looked at Martha. "As for you, my cousin, you just couldn't see these lot die." He then looked at the bag slung on Martha's shoulder. "Bag. Give me the bag." She went to move forward but he held his hand with his laser screwdriver out. "No, stay there. Just throw it."

Martha then threw the bag to the ground, the Master sets it to flames with his screwdriver before looking at Rita. "And your sonic." Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her sonic and tossed it in at the Master who caught it in the air. "Very nice." He nodded slightly impressed, looking at it before grinning at her. "I'll be keeping this." He placed it in his pocket then turned to Martha. "And now, good companion, your work is done." Rita went to move forward however turned back hearing the door open and seeing Tom screaming holding his gun. The Master pointed his laser at him and killed him dead then looked back to Martha while laughing. "But you, when you die, the Doctor should be witness, hmm?" He hummed. "The Stone can watch with him then she can helplessly watch as a new Gallifrey is born!" He spun around beaming to himself as they stood there glaring at him. "Almost dawn, Stone, Martha, and planet Earth marches to war."


	33. Last of the Time Lords - Two

The Master walked in laughing with Rita pushed behind him with two guards. "Put her over with Gandalf." The guards pushed her over towards the bird cage where the tiny being which was the Doctor sat. _"Doctor."_ She swallowed deeply seeing him in person for the first time in a year.

 _"Oh my dear."_ He whispered into her mind his hands grasping the bars to try and be as close as possible to her. _"I have missed you so much."_

 _"And you sweetheart."_ She smiled sadly. _"I took her. Just as we planned. I took Martha around the world."_

 _"I knew you would."_ He smiled at her. _"I love you."_

 _"I love you too, Theta."_ She blinked back the tears in her eyes wishing she could hug him so she knew he was really there with her and that it wasn't a dream. The dream she had been having ever since leaving with Martha a year ago.

They looked at the Master who grinned seeing the tears in his cousin's eyes. Walking over to the microphone he spoke into it happily. "Citizens of Earth, rejoice and observe." The door then opened and Martha slowly walked in followed by two guards similar to the ones which brought Rita in. Martha slowly walked past her family then saw the Doctor with Rita next to his cage.

The Master gestured for her to walk closer then coldly spoke holding out his hand. "Your teleport device, in case you thought I'd forgotten." Martha reached into her pocket and threw the vortex manipulator to the Master. "And now, kneel." He ordered. "Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?!" He shouted.

"The fleet awaits your signal. Rejoice!" A man shouted.

The Master looked around at the clock. "Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down." A clock then began to tick. "I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?!" He shouted.

"We will fly and blaze and slice." They said all at the same time allowing those on the Valiant to hear. "We will fly and blaze and slice."

"At zero, to mark this day, the child Martha Jones, will die. My first blood." He laughed. "Any last words?" He paused looking at Martha who didn't reply. "No? Such a disappointment, this one." He looked at the Doctor. "Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This one's useless. Just like my cousins were." He glanced at the Stone then turned back to Martha. "Bow your head." He pointed his laser at Martha. "And so it falls to me, as Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords. From this day forward-" he stopped noticing Martha quietly laughing. "What. What's so funny?"

"A gun." She chuckled.

"What about it?"

"A gun in four parts?"

"Yes, and I destroyed it." He said in annoyance.

"A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on, did you really believe that?"

"What do you mean?" The Master asked confused.

The Doctor grabbed onto the bars of the cage yet again squeezing tighter. "As if we would ask her to kill."

"Oh well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her."

"But oh my sweet, dearest cousin." Rita mockingly grinned at him. "You honestly think I would do that, let her kill do really know me at all? After everything that I have seen and done do you think I would take her around the world to end up seeing her kill?" She asked before continuing. "I'm smart and you of all people should know that. Smart enough to know what Professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son."

"We told her about the gun, so she'd get us here at the right time," Martha added.

"Oh, but you're still going to die." He hissed pointing the laser at her again

"Don't you want to know what we were doing, travelling the world?" She asked as the Stone raised a brow.

The Master snapped ordering them. "Tell me."

"I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor and the Stone said. She took me across the continents, all on our own. And everywhere we went, we found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor."

"And then I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor." Rita smiled softly looking at the Doctor.

"Faith and hope? Is that all?" The Master laughed.

"No, because I gave them an instruction, just as they said." Martha stood up.

"She told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time-"

The Master snapped again cutting Martha off. "Nothing will happen. Is that your weapon? Prayer?"

"Right across the world, in word, just one thought at one moment... but with fifteen satellites."

"What?" He looked at her in horror then snapped his eyes over to Rita.

"The Archangel Network," Jack muttered.

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time."

"And that word is Doctor." Rita grinned widely. The cage and the Doctor started to glow.

The Master looked on in horror. "Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don't." Rita then stepped back watching in awe.

Jack then closed his eyes and began to say: "Doctor. Doctor."

Martha's mother than did the same. "Doctor."

"Don't." The Master stepped back.

Rita looked at the screen seeing the crowds chanting. "Doctor. Doctor. Doctor."

The Master started to shout. "Stop this right now. Stop it!"

"Doctor." Lucy thought.

Martha breathed in closing her eyes as well. "Doctor."

Rita then closed her eyes. "Doctor." She thought with every bone in her body, every Doctor, every moment, every hug and every kiss they shared everything about him.

"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices." The Doctor explained now floating in the air changing back.

"I order you to stop!" The Master cried moving down the stairs, slowly backing up.

"Doctor. Doctor." The crowds chanted. "Doctor. Doctor."

"The one thing you can't do." The Doctor then changed back to his younger self. "Stop them thinking. Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this."

Martha ran to her mother and Tish as Rita moved to Jack laughing and hugging him.

"No!" The Master shouted shooting his screwdriver at the laser. The energy field around him causes it to be ineffective and the beam disappeared.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Then I'll kill them." The Master pointed the screwdriver towards Martha. The Doctor stretched out his hand and the screwdriver then flew from the Master's hand.

"You can't do this." He cried out backup against the wall. "You can't do it. It's not fair!"

"And you know what happens now." The Doctor told him.

"No! No! No! No!" He crouched down into a ball crying.

"You wouldn't listen."

"No!" He screamed through the tears."

"Because you know what I'm going to say."

"No." He screamed

"I forgive you."

"My children." The Master cried hiding his head in his hands

"Protect the paradox." The spheres chanted. "Protect the paradox. Protect the paradox."

The Doctor snapped his head to Jack. "Captain, the paradox machine!"

Jack then pointed at some men. "You men, with me!" He shouted and ran out.

Rita saw the Master grabbing the Vortex Manipulator and ran for it grabbing hold just as the Doctor did while he shouted. "No!"

They then were teleported on top of a hill in front of the millions of rockets. "Now it ends, Doctor, Stone. Now it ends."

"We've got control of the Valiant." The Doctor informed the Master "You can't launch." He said as Rita stepped forward standing beside him.

"Oh, but I've got this." He held out a device. "Black hole converter inside every ship. If I can't have this world, Doctor, Stone, then neither can you." He laughed. "We shall stand upon this Earth together, as it burns."

"But you won't." Rita slowly walked forward. "Because I know you better than anyone, all of these years all that time I've watched you grow up and I know you wouldn't, you never would because I know what you can't face, if you explode those ships then you kill yourself."

"I guess you don't know me so well." He looked at her seriously. "I could never kill my own family." He placed the black hole converter in her hand as she blinked not expecting him to say that, they never did have a good family bond. The ground began to shake as the Doctor and Master dived struggling for the Vortex Manipulator. Rita did as well managing to press the button taking them back to the Valiant.

The ship then began to shake as Martha was thrown into the Doctor and Rita. "Everyone get down!" He shouted pulling Rita to the ground with Martha following. "Time is reversing!" She laughed hugging him tightly as he laughed hugging her back as the Valiant shook violently. After the Valiant stopped the Doctor jumped up rushing to the controls as Rita stood up moving to the door. She knew he would try and make an escape. "The paradox is broken." The Doctor informed. "We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past eight in the morning." He pressed a button and a radio came through.

"This is UNIT Central. What's happened up there? We just saw the President assassinated."

"Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was."

"What about the spheres?" Martha asked.

"Trapped at the end of the universe."

Marthas mother frowned muttering. "But I can remember it."

"We're at the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know." The Doctor then looked over smiling. "Oh, hello. You must be Mister Jones. We haven't actually met."

"Not now sweetheart." Rita rolled her eyes. The Master then headed for the door and stepped in the way as Jack blocked the other side of the door.

"Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party." Jack spun the Master around.

"Handcuffs please." Rita held out her hand as a guard handed her them she then gave them to Jack.

"So, what do we do with this one?" He asked.

Marthas dad spat. "We kill him."

"We execute him."

"No." the Doctor and Rita both said. "We don't do that."

Francine then raised a pistol shaking with tears running down her face. "Oh, I think so, because all those things, they still happened because of him. I saw them."

"Go on. Do it." The Master whispered.

"Over my dead body." Rita hissed.

The Doctor looked over in alarm. "Francine, you're better than him." _"Rita move!"_ He screamed at her.

 _"Doctor I can't let them."_

The Doctor slowly moved down the steps and lowered the gun pulling Francine into a hug. He then let her go to hug Martha. "You two still haven't answered the question. What happens to me?" The Master looked between them.

"As your older cousin, you're now my responsibility"

"Ours." The Doctor corrected her. "The only Time Lords left in existence."

Jack moved over whispering. "Yeah, but you can't trust him."

"No. The only safe place for him is the TARDIS." The Doctor replied.

"You mean you're just going to keep me?" He asked.

The Doctor and Rita nodded as he hummed. "Mmm. If that's what we have to do." He glanced at Jack then Martha. "It's time to change. Maybe We've been wandering for too long. Now we have got someone to care for."

Suddenly two rounds of bullets fired. The Doctor ran catching the Master as he staggered back.

"Put it down," Jack ordered Lucy.

"There you go." The Doctor cooed cluching the Master. "I've got you. I've got you."

"Oh my God." Martha gasped her eyes widening seeing Rita stumble back herself clutching the side of her stomach. She ran over helping the Time Lady down.

"Martha I'm fine," Rita whispered reassuringly wincing at the slight pain.

"I have to get the Doctor."

"No." she sternly told her grabbing Martha's arm. "The Doctor needs to say his goodbye." She told her as she heard the Doctor crying out. "He needs to say goodbye to his friend because I know the Master won't regenerate."

"What about you?" She asked worryingly pressing her hands now covered in blood onto the wound.

"I'll regenerate." Rita coughed slightly.

"No!" She heard the Doctor scream. She swallowed knowing what was too come. The Doctor then looked around not seeing her beside him. _"Rita?"_

 _"Over here sweetheart..."_ she weakly said into his mind.

"Stone!" The Doctor cried out loud his eyes widening as he ran to her seeing Martha and Jack crouched down by her almost limp body.

"I'm fine." She smiled at him as he clutched her hand. She swallowed for a moment. "Look." She chuckled lightly. "I'm regenerating." She shakily moved her hand up the golden energy swirling around. "D- Doctor." She coughed.

"Oh, -my love." He cried tears spilling from his eyes, falling onto her cheek and the floor.

"I- I'm frightened." She sobbed out. "I haven't regenerated in a long time."

"I know." He cried pulling her head to his chest rocking her head back and forth. "I know, I love you."

"I love you too." She weakly laughed looking up at him. "We have had some brilliant times haven't we?" She asked cupping his cheek as he looked down at her giving her a soft smile. "When I first told you that I love you." She looked into his eyes. "When you wouldn't stop teasing me about how I almost ran into the TARDIS doors." She gave a watery laugh remembering the fond memory and how much the Doctor didn't let her forget about it for days. "I love you."

"I love you too dear." He leant down to her softly kissing her lips wishing to that he could take the pain away from her. Gently she pulled away sooner than she would have liked knowing fully well that she couldn't hold it off, she hadn't regenerated in a long time, longer than many of her other selves had it was definitely dangerous for her to regenerate here and not in the safety of the TARDIS, especially with all the humans around that could get hurt and a gun in the presence.

However, she had no choice they wouldn't reach the TARDIS in time which was still looking like a Paradox machine. "Sweetheart it's time." She looked down watching the golden energy swirl around her hand lighting her face up now brighter than before.

"I'll be right here." He reassured her stroking a stray strand of hair away from her face. "Right here right beside you."

"You have to move sweetheart." She firmly told him tried to push him away while shaking her head. "All of you," she looked around at them before she swallowed deeply, "here we go." She looked between Martha and Jack who stood with his hand on her shoulder. He pulled her away as they backed up the Doctor kissing Rita's forehead before doing so himself standing slightly in front of the rest of the people. "Here comes ten," she softly smiled at the Doctor thickly swallowing. "I wonder if I get amazing hair like you, Doctor." She laughed lightly the Doctor chuckling himself.

"Laughing up to the last second aren't you dear?" He smiled softly before his face slightly filled with worry as the Time Lady cried out as the pain surged through her body the golden light completely engulfing her. Continuing to crying out in pain the energy took over changing ever single one of her cells. Collapsing as soon as it was over the Doctor rushed over to her an picked up her body checking to make sure that she was okay.

The Doctor lit the Master's pyre sadly watching from the distance then looked back at the TARDIS wishing and knowing that Rita should be with him. She was resting, her body needed it with all that energy flowing through her especially when she hadn't regenerated in a long time. The Doctor watched as the pyre burnt, he thought of the Master for a moment before slowly walking away back to the TARDIS to check on her before taking Jack home as he wished.

"Time was, every single one of these people knew your name. Now they've all forgotten you." Martha sighed.

"They won't know how cheeky you are." A rather posh Welsh accent spoke from behind causing the three to jump. "Didn't mean to scare you all, I just can't help myself with this new body and all, it seems I love to make an entrance." They turned around to the woman who looked in her early 20's with shoulder length blonde hair. She wore a plain white blouse with a black blazer over the top and plain black trousers. The Doctor glanced down and silently groaned seeing she had changed her maroon vans for black ones.

"When don't you ever make an entrance." The Doctor chuckled lightly.

"Apparently I love it even more now." She frowned slightly eyeing her height compared to the Doctors. "I feel taller." She hummed.

"You are." Jack pointed out to her guessing it was actually Rita since the Doctor rushed off suddenly with her in his arms after she collapsed that he or Martha never got to see her. She then looked back at the Doctor remembering that she roughly came up to just under his shoulders in her ninth body, however in this body she was slightly taller than them.

"Any side effects?" The Doctor asked her worryingly.

"Not that I'm aware of." She shrugged. "So what do you think?" She raised a brow at him.

"I quite like it." The Doctor smirked looking up and down at her, Rita coughed a little feeling her cheeks flush at the look he was giving her, especially when he looked at her now green eyes. "Except for the vans." He then added.

"Dis the vans and I dis your sandshoes." The Doctor raised a brow as Martha snorted at her. Rita blinked frowning. "Don't tell me I'm rude."

"I think it's sass." Martha laughed. "Works with the accent."

"Do you think?" Rita asked. "I thought it sounded a little too posh."

"Gives people quite the shock." Jack nodded in agreement with Martha.

"I think it's a lovely accent." The Doctor grinned wrapped an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "Any after effects and you tell me." He whispered kissing her forehead.

"I will, I will." She chuckled kissing his cheek.

Jack lightly coughed and stepped under the railing. "Back to work."

"We really don't mind, though." The Doctor said then looked at Rita who nodded in agreement. "Come with us."

"I had plenty of time to think that past year, the year that never was, and I kept thinking about that team of mine." He looked back in the direction of Torchwood. "Like you said, Doctor, responsibility."

"Defending the Earth. Can't argue with that."

"Hold on a minute." Rita stepped under bringing out her sonic and grabbing Jacks wrist exposing the vortex manipulator and sonicing it.

"Hey, I need that." He protested.

"I said only Time Lords should have access to time travel and I keep my word, unless you have a respiratory bypass system and two hearts your not moving around on what he would call a space hopper." She grinned nodding over at the Doctor.

The Doctor smirked at her. He was definitely going to enjoy this regeneration of her. "And what about me Doctor?" Jack asked causing the smirk to disappear from the Time Lords face. "Can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?"

"Nothing I can do." The Doctor replied sadly. "You're an impossible thing, Jack."

"Been called that before." He nodded at them. "Ma'am. Sir. Ma'am." He saluted to them and started to walk off before turning back round. "But I keep wondering. What about aging? Because I can't die but I keep getting older. The odd little grey hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?"

"He's had plenty grey hairs." Rita pointed to the Doctor who groaned a little. "I love you either way sweetheart so hush."

She shook her head as the Doctor replied to Jack. "I really don't know."

"Okay, vanity. Sorry. Yeah, can't help it." He nodded. "Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid living on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. The Face of Boe, they called me." The Doctor and Martha's mouths dropped as Rita chuckled. "Hmm. I'll see you."

"No." the Doctor looked at them both.

"It can't be." Martha laughed.

"No. Definitely not. No. No."

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Rita waved her hands in the air. "I give you, the Face of Boe." She then waved her arms in the direction of Jack while laughing.

The three watched Jack head back to Torchwood before heading back to the TARDIS. The Doctor and Rita took her to Martha's mother's house. Martha ran out and headed straight inside. The Doctor and Rita leant beside the TARDIS. "You know she's probably going to stay here." Rita softly told the Doctor leaning her head on his chest watching Martha's hug her mother.

"I know." He sighed. "If she says she wants to she can, we don't want to kick her out now do we?"

"Of course not." Rita smiled looking up at him before her eyes grew soft. "I missed you." She reached up touching his cheek with her hand gently rubbing her thumb against his skin.

"I missed you too, dear." He leant down as she turned to face him, softly kissing his lips placing her hands on his chest.

The Doctor gently pulled away then looking into the window seeing Francine watching them. The Time Lords softly smiled at her as she smiled back before they entered the TARDIS. The Doctor threw his coat over the coral beam and walked around the console his fingers entwined with the Time Lady's before he sat down in the jump seat placing his feet up on the console. Rita sat beside him his arm draping over her shoulder as she cuddled next to the Doctor happy to be back next to him with the both of them relatively okay. They didn't talk because they didn't need to. They both knew that the other was there beside them and safe, it was all they needed to know.

A few minutes passed with Rita almost falling asleep beside the Doctor still slightly tired from regenerating. She jolted upright at the sound of the TARDIS door opening. They both leant to the left seeing Martha walk in. The Doctor jumped up as Rita sighed sadly. "Right then, off we go. The open road." He started to run around the TARDIS. "There is a burst of starfire right now over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water. Fancy a look? Or back in time. We could, I don't know, Charles the Second? Henry the Eighth. I know. What about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie. I bet she's brilliant." His face fell at seeing Martha's knowing what she was going to say. Rita walked up to him resting a hand on his arm as he sadly nodded. "Okay."

"I just can't." She apologised.

"Yeah." He looked down sadly.

"Spent all these years training to be a doctor. Now I've got people to look after. They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated. I can't leave them."

"Of course not." He nodded sadly at her then smiled hugging her. "Thank you. Martha Jones, you saved the world."

"Yes, I did." She smiled. "With the help of the Stone." She looked at Rita smiling at her. "I spent a lot of time with you two thinking I was second best, but you know what?" She poked him. "I am good." She laughed her face then becoming serious. "You two going to be all right?

"I got my Stone." He chuckled rubbing the Time Lady's arm. "She keeps me in shape."

"I don't know about in shape." Rita laughed. "Looks like you do that already you're like a piece of string." She laughed kissing his cheek before turning to Martha looking serious with a small smile. "He has me and I have him." They both knew that those words won't always keep them safe but they could only hope that they had each other for many more years.

"Right then." Martha nodded at them giving Rita a hug and then kissing the Doctors cheek. "Bye." She then quickly walked out

The Doctor and Rita smiled sadly at each other before turning to the door hearing it open again. "Because the thing is, it's like my friend Vicky. She lived with this bloke, student housing, there were five of them all packed in, and this bloke was called Sean." She explained. Rita smiled seeing where this was going while the Doctor looked at her a little confused. "And she loved him. She did. She completely adored him. Spent all day long talking about him."

The Doctor frowned crossing his arms and leaning against the console. "Is this going anywhere?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Because he never looked at her twice. I mean, he liked her, but that was it. And she wasted years pining after him. Years of her life. Because while he was around, she never looked at anyone else." The Doctor looked down feeling slightly guilty. "And I told her, I always said to her, time and time again, I said, get out. So this is me, getting out." She looked at Rita who smiled nodding at her for what she just said, proud that her friend made the hard choice. Martha then reached into her pocket and threw her phone over to the Doctor. "Keep that, because I'm not having the two of you disappear. If that rings, when that rings," she corrected herself. "You'd better come running. Got it?"

They both nodded. "Got it."

"I'll see you again, mister." She laughed and the Doctor smirked. "And you miss."

"Of course you will Martha Jones. The girl who walked the Earth." She nodded as Martha exited the TARDIS.

Seeing Martha leave the TARDIS for the last time in a long time she sighed the Doctor walked over pulling the Stone into a hug closing his eyes enjoying the slight warmth of her finally in his arms again as she closed her own eyes faintly hearing his two hearts beating at a steady pace. They stayed there for a couple of moments enjoying being able to touch and be with each other again before the Doctor lent over and pulled a lever sending them into the Time Vortex, he then entwined his fingers with hers gently pulling her over to the jump seat again and sat down, placing his legs up on the console as she tucked hers under herself resting her head against the inside of his shoulder with his arm securely around her. Smiling down at her he placed a kiss on her temple. "Love you."

"Love you too." She moved her hand up and cupped his cheek pulling him down to her gently as she reached up connecting her lips to his in a lingering kiss. Sighing happily she broke away after a few moments closing her eyes and resting her head against him. "I'm never leaving you alone like that again." She murmured to him.

"I have no arguments against that." He chuckled lightly before leaning down sealing another long deep kiss.


	34. Time Crash

Still not content with themselves even after Rita had wondered the halls of the TARDIS she found herself back in the console room facing him. The Doctor and Rita sighed closing their eyes and rested their heads together once again. "I missed you too much." The Doctor whispered as if speaking any louder would scare her away.

"I was so worried about you." Rita wrapped her arms his neck not wanting to let go. "A whole year." She swallowed thickly not wanting to cry because it wouldn't help either of them.

"I know." He mumbled into her neck as she sighed into his. "I'm here now."

"Good." She chuckled. "Because I'm not leaving you again. I mean it. You're mine now... My Doctor."

"Good." He laughed in the same tone as she used before. "Come on then." He let her go taking her hand and pulled a lever. An alarm began to blare and the TARDIS violently shook throwing them both into the jump seat. The Doctor then pulled himself up with the help of Rita and pushed the lever back.

"Whats wrong with her," Rita asked patting the console. "Did you eat something horrible again?"

"Ah, stop it!" The Doctor groaned. "What was all that about, eh? Eh? What's your problem?" He patted the rotor.

"Right, just settle down now." Rita's head snapped up hearing a familiar voice she hadn't heard in a long time. The Doctor started to move around the console until he bumped into someone and jumped.

"What?" The Doctor looked at him widened eyed.

"Oh dear..." Rita sighed pinching the bridge of her nose. Of course, this was quite humorous but also very bad. Black hole kind of bad if not sorted. With the way these two were going about it, they would all be dead.

"What?" The past Doctor wearing the celery repeated staring at Rita's Doctor.

"What!" The tenth Doctor shouted.

"Oh as soon as I heard that voice I knew." Rita laughed running around and standing just off to the side of the two Doctors watching them stare each other down.

"Who are you?" The past Doctor asked.

"Oh, brilliant." The Doctor beamed looking at Rita who didn't know what to say. She shrugged a little then gave a small smile knowing what was going to happen. The Doctor shook his head violently agreeing with her and snapped his head back to the past Doctor looking at his past confused self. "I mean, totally wrong. Bit emergency, universe goes bang in five minutes, but, brilliant."

"I'm the Doctor." The past Doctor said then frowned. "Who are you?"

"Yes, _you_ are. You _are_ the Doctor." The Doctor grinned.

"Yes, I am. I'm the Doctor."

"Oh, good for you, Doctor." He continued grinning enjoying this a little too much. "Good for brilliant old you." The Doctor grinned again before the 5th Doctor looked at Rita.

"And who are you?"

"Erm well..." she scratched her head. "Currently I don't really know, I have a welsh accent apart from that I don't have the foggiest of who I am." She shrugged.

"Is there something wrong with you two?" The past Doctor looked at them frowning further this time causing the Doctor and Rita to both laugh.

"There it is!" Rita pointed at him. "Look at it!"

"Oh, there it goes, the frowny face." Rita's Doctor laughed with her. "I remember that one."

"And I remember repeatedly making fun of that one." Rita chuckled resting her arm on the Doctor watching the past Doctor look completely confused.

"Mind you, bit saggier than I ought to be." The Doctor started to squish his other selfs face. "Hair's a bit greyer."

"Well, that is _your_ fault." Rita shrugged. "I did tell you to put the shields back up." She crossed her arms shaking her head disappointingly. "The two of you together has shorted out the time differential." She explained making the past Doctor blink at her only knowing one person who cut in his explanations.

"Should all snap back in place when we get you home. Be able to close that coat again." The Doctor cut her off looking down at the past Doctor's coat then began to smile widely again. "But never mind that. Look at you!" He beamed. "The coat, the crickety-cricket stuff, the stick of celery." He poked it. "Yeah. Brave choice, celery, but fair play to you. Not a lot of men can carry off a decorative vegetable."

"Shut up!" The past Doctor shouted causing the Doctor and Rita to both jump. "There is something very wrong with my TARDIS, and I've got to do something about it very, very quickly, and it would help, it really would help if there wasn't some skinny idiot and his girlfriend ranting in my face about every single thing that happens to be in front of them!"

"Oh. Okay. Sorry. Doctor." The Doctor muttered looking at the floor as Rita groaned.

"Thank you."

"Arguing with yourself," Rita turned to her Doctor. "Is this what you're always like when I'm not around?" She raised a brow at him while he just sheepishly looked at her shrugging.

The past Doctor then took off his hat and placed it on the console before turning around. "Oh, the back of my head." The Doctor groaned standing on his tiptoes his brows coming together as he looked at the past Doctors slight bold patch with a disgusted look.

"Hairs better now though." Rita laughed running a hand through the Doctors hair causing him to shiver slightly not used to having her do that.

"What?" The past Doctor turned around.

"Sorry, sorry. He quietly apologised. "It's not something you see every day, is it, the back of your own head. Mind you, I can see why you wear a hat. I don't want to seem vain, but could you keep that on?" He pointed to it.

The past Doctor then noticed the rest of the TARDIS, his eyes widened in what Rita saw as horror. "What have you done to my TARDIS?" He looked at them both. "You've changed the desktop theme, haven't you. What's this one, coral?"

"Well," the Doctor shrugged.

"It's worse than the leopard skin."

"I quiet like it." Rita shrugged. "I can throw my coats on the beams and they will stay there."

The past Doctor then brought out his half-moon spectacles placing them on his nose. "Oh, and out they come, the brainy specs. You don't even need them. You just think they make you look a bit clever."

"Says you." Rita rolled her eyes at him as an alarm blared.

"That's an alert, level five, indicating a temporal collision. It like two TARDISes have merged, but there's definitely only one TARDIS present." He said running around. "It's like two time zones or more at the heart of the TARDIS."

"That's a paradox." Rita cut him off before he started to talk again.

"That could blow a hole in the space-time continuum the size of..." The past Doctor looked at the monitor for a moment. "Well, actually, the exact size of Belgium. That's a bit undramatic, isn't it? Belgium?"

"Always wanted to properly go to Belgium," Rita noted. "And Barcelona! We still haven't been there."

"One day I promise we will," the Doctor said to her before leaning against the console dangling his sonic in front of the past Doctor. "Need this?"

"No, I'm fine." He shook his head continuing with what he was doing.

"Oh no, of course, you liked to go hands-free, didn't you, like hey, I'm the Doctor. I can save the universe using a kettle and some string." He mocked. "And look at me, I'm wearing a vegetable."

"At least he doesn't get hungry and ask for hot dogs in the middle of a freezing ventilation corridor with Cybermen on either side." Rita raised a brow at him trying to hold back the smirk on her lips as he slightly pouted.

"Who are you?" the past Doctor frowned.

"Take a look." The Doctor stepped back bringing Rita with him as the past Doctor glanced up and down at them.

"Oh. Oh, no." He gasped.

"Oh yes." The Doctor grinned.

"You're. Oh, no."

"Here it comes. Yeah, I am."

"A fan." Rita burst out laughing having to hold onto the console to stay upright.

"Yeah." He nodded then shook his head. "What?"

"This is bad." The past Doctor muttered. "Two minutes to Belgium."

"What do you mean, a fan?" The Doctor walked up to him offended. "I'm not just a fan, I'm you." He pointed at him.

"Is this the time Doctor." Rita glared at him.

"Okay, you're my biggest fan." The past Doctor ignored her. "Look, its perfectly understandable. I go zooming around space and time, saving planets, fighting monsters and being well, let's be honest, pretty sort of marvellous," The Doctor nodded in agreement as Rita shrugged giving a 'meh' look on her face. "So naturally now and then people notice me. Start up their little groups. That LINDA lot. Are you one of them?" He groaned at them. "How did you get in here? Can't have you lot knowing where I live."

"Listen to me." The Doctor stepped forward. "I'm you, I'm you. I'm you with a new face. Check out this bone structure, Doctor, because one day you're going to be shaving it." He hit his cheeks.

"And I have to put up with it." Rita raised a hand to her forehead as she shook her own head.

"You like it really." He laughed winking causing her to blush.

A bell then suddenly ran and Rita looked up. As the past Doctor shouted: "The cloister bell!"

"Stone I think that is for you." The Doctor informed her.

"Is it now?" She asked. "Well, then I best get on with it." She started to run around the console throwing levers. "Aren't you going to help me?" She asked the Doctor who sat back on the jump seat watching.

"Nope"

"In a minute we're going to create a black hole strong enough to swallow the entire universe!" The past Doctor shouted.

"Yeah, that's my fault, actually. I was rebuilding the TARDIS forgot to put the shields back up." He sheepishly looked at his past self. "Your TARDIS and my TARDIS, well the same TARDIS at different points in its own timestream collided and whoo, there you go, end of the universe, butterfingers." He wiggled his fingers laughing. "But don't worry, I know exactly how this all works out. Watch." He turned to Rita who looked at him waiting for whatever he was going to do. "You trust me correct?" He looked straight into Rita's eyes.

"Well of course I do." She replied raising a brow at him. "That's the stupidest questions you have ever asked me."

"Okay good, just checking, do exactly as I say." He took a breath before quickly telling her what to do. "Vent the thermobuffer, draw the Helmic regulator, and just to finish off, fry those Zeiton crystals." She ran around the console following his orders.

"She'll blow up the TARDIS." The past Doctor ran to Rita going to pull her away from the console.

The Doctor pulled his previous self away letting her continue. "No, she won't."

"Who told you that?" The past Doctor asked.

"You told me that." The Doctor replied.

"Supernova and black hole at the exact same instant." The past Doctor breathed.

"The explosion cancels out the implosion." Rita laughed.

"Pressure remains constant." the past Doctor then added.

"It's brilliant." The Doctor beamed.

"Far too brilliant. I've never met anyone else who could fly the TARDIS like that." He asked staring at Rita. "Are you me as well?"

"Ha ha, no." Rita shook her head.

"Who are you then?" He asked. "Wait..." He paused holding a hand out then frowned at her. "You finished my sentence?" He raised a brow looking slightly shocked. "I only know one person who does that." He looked at her for a moment as she crossed her arms and leant against the console biting her lip waiting for him to realise. His eyes then widened staring at her. "Stone?" he quietly whispered.

Rita then let her smirk escape raised her hand and waved. "Hello, Doctor."

The previous Doctor widened his arms hugging her tightly. "Your welsh!" He laughed.

"Yeah I am, new regeneration, not that long ago." She chuckled hugging him back before he let go and frowned at her and her Doctor. "You didn't have time to work all that out. Even I couldn't do it."

"I didn't work it out." He shook his head. "I didn't have to."

"You remembered." The past Doctor breathed.

"Because you will remember."

"You remembered being me hearing you explain that and watching the Stone doing it." He looked between them. "You already knew what to do because I saw her do it." He laughed.

"Wibbly-wobbly" the Doctor and Rita grinned with the three of them finishing "Timey wimey!" they then laughed.

"Right, TARDIS' are separating." Rita said sadly as the Doctor added.

"Sorry, Doctor, time's up. Back to long ago. Where are you now?" He asked. "Nyssa and Tegan with the forth Stone" He paused looking at Rita before continuing. "Cybermen and Mara and Time Lords in funny hats and the Master? Oh, he just showed up again, same as ever."

"Tell me about it." Rita groaned.

"Oh no, really? Does he still have that rubbish beard?" The previous Doctor asked.

"No," He shook his head. "No beard this time. Well, a wife." He shrugged.

The previous Doctor then slowly disappeared. "Oh, I seem to be off." He looked at his hand which was fading. "What can I say? Thank you, Doctor."

"Thank you." He smiled.

"I'm very welcome." The past Doctor nodded then turned to Rita. "Look after him Stone and keep being brilliant."

"I will." She nodded watching the previous doctor vanish by her Doctor's side. Rita glanced at the console and flipped some switches as the Doctor picked up the past Doctors hat.

"You know, I love being you." He walked over to her previous self. "Back when I first started at the very beginning, I was always trying to be old and grumpy and important, like you do when you're young." He said placing the hat on the past Doctors head. "And then I was you, and it was all dashing about and playing cricket with the Stone and my voice going all squeaky when I shouted." he laughed. "I still do that, the voice thing. I got that from you. Oh, and the trainers..." He brought his foot up on the console showing his converses. "Snap..." He then spun around placing his glasses on. "Because you know what, Doctor? You were my Doctor."

"To days to come." He tipped his hat

"All my love to long ago." The Doctor nodded as he disappeared.

"Oh, Stone..." They heard the previous Doctor. "Remind me to put the shields back up." She laughed as the Doctor went to press the button. There suddenly was the sound of a ship's horn causing the two to crash to the floor.

"What?" They both gasped looking up and seeing the massive hole. "What!"

The Doctor picked up a boat ring and turned it over and read it: 'Titanic' "What?"

"Oh dear..."

* * *

Book Three 'The Destiny of Three' is now up!


End file.
